A New Beginning
by my trancey inspiration
Summary: A new beginning for all arising from the throes of war. Rated for later content. Kataang, Sukka, Maiko. Ch. 11 up! Spring is the season of rebirth, change, and things anew.
1. Ch 1The Morning After

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar, but my imagination owns this story :)

A/N: The finale was awesome, the Gaang all survived and the beautiful relationship we all knew would happen, happened. I began writing this story a little before the finale, and tweaked it afterwards so the details matched. I still had a couple of questions about some things when the show ended, and this story is in response to that, for closure I suppose. :) It will include tid bits from the finale and some extra, and then will go beyond the war to the stuff that we won't get to see but that we all want. Rated for later lemony goodness and Kataang fluffiness. So...without further ado...

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Ch 1. The Morning After

Katara stirred when the sun shone on her face. She stretched, yawned and opened her eyes, looking at the red canopy above her, remembering yesterday's events. It had been such a long day, with Aang, Sokka, Suki and Toph returning on an airship late last night from the Earth Kingdom.

Finally_, finally_ the war was over. All of their hard work and perseverance had paid off. Upon their return, Katara had learned that Aang had somehow mastered the Avatar State, and was now a fully-realized Avatar. He had accomplished his seemingly impossible task of defeating Ozai, without killing him. Aang had stripped the Fire Lord of his fire bending, and he was imprisoned along with Azula, who had gone completely insane. Katara had been glad of the fact that Aang didn't have to kill Ozai, because she knew Aang couldn't handle causing the death of another person. His respect for life included _all_ life, even if it was the Fire Lord who wreaked death and destruction all over the world. After all, how can you initiate a period of peace beginning with death? Sokka, Toph, and Suki saw the whole thing, but hearing Sokka recount an epic battle was a little comedic and lacking in details, so Katara wanted to hear about it from Aang. She hadn't had much time to talk with him last night due to all the excitement. Then there was a coronation this afternoon and….

"Zuko", she whispered, wrinkling her brow when she said his name.

Zuko would carry a new scar now, from having saved Katara from Azula's lightning strike. She would be eternally grateful to him for that, and they would all surely be lifelong friends. Aang had expressed his gratitude to Zuko when he was told about what Zuko had done for her. She noticed Aang's eyes glinted with tears, as he firmly shook his friend's hand, then hugged him, thanking him for his self-sacrifice.

Zuko had arranged for the Gaang to stay in the Palace City for a few days while he assumed the throne to help ward off any insurgents who may want to overthrow the newly appointed Fire Lord. There were still a few loose ends to tie up: the Fire Nation soldiers, the Dai Li, the War Ministers, and others who may still be loyal to Ozai or Azula.

But now, another challenge faced them. A more tedious challenge: to rectify the damage done by the Fire Nation and help the world to begin recovering. There was much to do, beginning with meetings of councils and world leaders. The group was going to rest and take a much deserved break while waiting for word to get out and for all of the world's political leaders to travel to the Fire Nation. Aang, no doubt, was going to be pulled in a million different directions over the next few years, with leaders of provinces requesting an audience with him and needing his help with peace treaties and trade agreements and so on and so on.

"Ugh." Katara grumbled at that thought. She wondered if they all would ever have a normal, or, somewhat normal life after this, one not filled with politics.

She sat up and dangled her feet over the side of the bed. It was actually a very comfortable room, despite the shades of red with black flames that decorated almost everything. She stood and pulled her robe on and walked toward the door.

"A bath would be nice, I wonder where the bathroom is."

She opened the door and walked out into the hallway. She looked at Aang's door which was directly across from hers and blushed slightly, thinking of him. She knew now without a doubt how he felt about her, and she _did_ have feelings for him, now she just needed to find the right time to let him know.

'_I need to apologize to him',_ she thought, remembering their conversation at the theater. She felt horrible for walking away from him that night, leaving him unanswered and hurt. He seemed to have instantly forgiven her though. The next day it wasn't mentioned at all, and their interaction was the same as always; except when the group's conversation had turned to his killing the Fire Lord. He had gotten frustrated with everyone, and then disappeared, yet another instance she wanted to ask him about. It had only been a couple of days, but with all that had happened she felt as if she hadn't spoken with her friend in months.

She walked down the hall to her right peeking in the doors as she went along. The palace was a huge place, it was going to take a while to find where everything was. Sokka had already found where the kitchen was the night before and was ecstatic to find out there was always someone on duty to prepare food at any hour. Katara giggled.

'_He's going to enjoy our time here a little too much',_ she thought. When she rounded the corner, she saw a large doorway with thick red velvet curtains hanging to cover the opening. She moved the fabric aside with two fingers and peeked inside. She saw a large dressing area, and a bathing area was just beyond a smaller doorway.

"Wow. This is the biggest bathroom I've ever seen," she said stepping through the curtains. Suddenly two women appeared through a doorway on the left side of the dressing area, one of them setting a tray with tea and fruit on a table in the corner to her right.

"Good morning. Would you be requiring any assistance, Master Katara?" the other woman asked bowing.

"Oh, no, thank you," Katara replied. "Just here for a bath."

"Of course, ma'am. Please allow us to draw it for you."

"Um, sure, thanks." They bowed to each other and Katara sat down on one of the pillows in the corner and helped herself to some tea. It was weird having people to wait on her. It wasn't something she was used to. She glanced across the room, catching a glimpse of the sun rising over the edge of the caldera through a large window over the tub. It really was beautiful here, but it had such a dark history. Katara wondered what drove people to become so hungry for power.

"Excuse me, Katara, your bath is ready," one of the women stated.

"Oh, thank you."

"Would you be requiring anything else, Mistress?"

"No, thank you, just some privacy please," Katara said with a nod.

The women left the room, closing the door behind them. She walked through the door and behind a large white screen painted with images of bonsai trees and cranes, the sun and a river.

'_At least it's not red and black'_, Katara thought. She removed her clothes and slipped into the steaming water, noticing the scent of lavender as she sank down into the water. "Ahh, I could get used to this," she said as she relaxed.

--o--o--o--o--o--

"_You are too weak! Just like the rest of your people! They did not deserve to exist in this world, in my world. Prepare to join them…prepare to die! …Come on out Avatar! You can't hide in there forever!" Aang felt the heat becoming unbearable and the energy leaving his body, suddenly, there was a white flash._

Aang blinked his eyes, and pressed the heel of his hand against his forehead. He sat up in the bed and shook his head, as if doing that would rid him of the icky feeling the nightmare left him with. He took in and let out a deep breath.

"It was just a dream." He stood and walked toward the window of his room, taking in a grand view of the beautiful city and the ocean in the distance. "It's finally over," he said smiling. His stomach growled, and he clutched at it. "When was the last time I ate? I wonder what everyone is doing for breakfast. Come on Momo!" The still sleeping lemur jumped at the word "breakfast" and leapt onto Aang's shoulder. He opened his door and stepped into the hallway. He looked across the hall at Katara's door. "I wonder if she's awake yet." He knocked on the door first, when he didn't get a response he quietly cracked the door open and looked inside. When he saw she wasn't there he closed the door with a disappointed look on his face. "Oh well, maybe she is already downstairs. I wonder where the bathroom is." He turned to his left and walked down the hall, rounded the corner and came upon the same doorway with the thick red curtains. He pushed the curtain aside and peeked in. He didn't see anyone and walked through the door. Momo squeaked and jumped from his shoulder and ran through the doorway and behind the large white screen.

"Who's there!?" Aang jumped when he heard the voice, but it was familiar. He then heard a splash and a dripping wet Momo ran back to where he was standing.

"Katara, it's just me! I'm sorry I didn't know anyone was in here. I'll just find another bathroom and--"

"No! Aang wait! Just wait in the dressing area over there on those pillows." He bended the water from Momo and turned to the table and pillows in the corner, sitting with his back to the bathing area. He blushed a little, thinking about what was just on the other side of the screen, a little astonished at her level of comfort with him being in the same room while she was…

"I'll be out in a minute," she called out.

"Um, okay," Aang said, handing Momo a piece of fruit from the table, which he stuffed into his mouth whole. Katara let the water drain and emerged from the tub, bended the water from her body, grabbed her robe and wrapped herself in it.

"Good morning," she said as she joined Aang on the pillows.

"Good morning," Aang returned, smiling.

"Sorry Momo," she said as she scratched him behind his ear. She toweled her hair dry and looked at Aang, a smile crossing her lips. "It's weird isn't it? Being able to make ourselves at home in the Fire Nation palace, having people wait on us?" she asked.

"Yeah. But what's great is waking up and realizing that the war is over and we can finally relax and have some fun for a couple of days," he said leaning back on the pillows. He tossed Momo another piece of fruit, and took some for himself.

"Ha! I see nothing has changed."

He beamed at her and raised an eyebrow, "did you expect it to?"

"No," Katara smiled at him. No longer was he the boy she stumbled upon in the South Pole. No, now he was different. Not yet a man, but more mature from their ordeal, and she saw him in a different light. She quite liked this light though, and she admired him so much for coming through that overwhelming experience while still holding onto his true self. Aang's voice brought her out of her thoughts.

"I'm starving. You wanna go get some breakfast?"

"Um, sure. I just need to go change first," she stood up from the pillows.

"Alright, I'll meet you at your room," Aang said. Katara nodded and headed out of the bathroom. Aang sighed, and shook his head, grinning widely.

"Good morning, Avatar Aang." He turned to see two women standing in the dressing area, their hands clasped, and bowing. He returned the gesture.

"Good morning."

"Is there anything we can do for you?"

"No, thank you," Aang replied.

"Very well. Good day," the women said, bowing. He again returned the gesture and walked into the rest room.

--o--o--o--o--o--

He stood outside Katara's room waiting for her to get dressed.

"It's a new day Momo," he said petting him. "Everything is gonna be great from here on out," he said smiling. He heard Katara's door open, and turned to greet her.

"Hey, Aang," she said as she emerged from her room. "You ready?"

"Yeah, but, do you remember where the kitchen is?" he asked.

"No, but I'm sure if we find Sokka, we find the kitchen." They both giggled and walked toward Sokka's room to find his door was open and his room was empty. "Oh well," Katara said. "Look's like we're on our own."

--o--o--o--o--o--

Sokka walked into the royal kitchen with his eyes wide.

"Oooh…" he said as he opened a pantry full of goodies for him to choose from. He rubbed his hands together, and right as he was about to dive in…

"I see you've found our stash."

"Huh?" Sokka turned around to find Zuko walking into the kitchen. "Hey there Mr. Fire Lord Zuko Sir. How are you feeling?"

"Okay, I guess. I'm still a little sore, but it's not anything I can't handle. And please don't call me that," he smirked and sat at the island in the center of the kitchen. "You know you can just go sit in the dining room and someone will get you whatever you want."

"Riiiight…didn't think about that. Not really something I'm used to," Sokka said shrugging his shoulders, turning back to the food and grabbing some fire flakes from the shelf. He had actually started to like those things. "There's nothing wrong with a little pre-breakfast snack," he said grinning.

"I see. Well get used to it. You all are my honored guests. My home is your home. You're welcome to anything I have," Zuko winced and put his hand to his chest.

"Are you alright?" Sokka rushed over to him, dropping the fire flakes, his voice concern laden.

"Yeah, I could use a few days to rest. I don't think I'm going to be able to take any time off though. There's so much to be done."

"Well, let me know if there's anything I can do to help. I can go get Katara for you, for a healing session. She should be awake by now." Sokka started for the door, but Zuko stopped him.

"No Sokka, it's okay. I'll be alright. Besides, if I need to, I can postpone any meetings if it gets where I can't, um, sit," he said slightly smiling.

"Yeah, being the Fire Lord requires a lot of sitting doesn't it?" Sokka chuckled.

"Well it used to. But I intend to be more involved in running the country. I don't want my people to see me as an untouchable deity who runs things from behind a curtain of fire. In fact, I intend to do a lot of remodeling to the entire palace. No more curtain of fire, no more darkness. I want a throne room with a view," he smiled. "Come on, let's go in here and get some breakfast." He stood and put his arm around Sokka, and they walked into the dining area.

"You got any meat?" Sokka asked. Zuko just laughed at him.

"Of course."

--o--o--o--o--o--

Aang and Katara ventured through the hallways and grand rooms of the palace. They still hadn't found the kitchen.

"Man, Zuko really needs to redecorate this place. There's scary pictures of the past Fire Lords everywhere," Aang said.

"Yeah. Plus there aren't enough windows. This place feels like a sauna," Katara added while pulling her hair up into a bun. "At least he already started removing all of those Fire Nation insignia banners." Aang nodded in agreement.

"So what do you want to do after the coronation?" he asked.

"I guess we can see what everyone else feels like doing," she replied.

"We could. But I would kind of like to spend the day with you," Aang raised his eyebrows and shot Katara a sideways glance in anticipation of her response to his invite.

"Okay. Sounds good to me," she said. "You wanna take Appa and see what we can find to get into?"

"Yeah!" Aang said, trying not to sound over-excited. "Oh look here's the dining room." They walked in to find everyone else already seated, with servants taking orders. Toph and Suki had made their way to the dining area as well, with Suki seated next to Sokka, and Toph seated next to Mai. Zuko was at the head of the table. Katara sat next to Toph, and Aang sat at the other end of the table next to her.

"There you two are," Zuko said. "We were beginning to wonder."

"We got lost," Katara said. "This place is huge."

"Actually, you probably just walked in the wrong direction and ended up in the wrong wing. The hallway where your rooms are is just on the other side of that courtyard," Zuko said pointing toward a window opposite his seat at the table. "You'll figure it out soon enough."

Aang smiled. "I appreciate all of your hospitality, Zuko."

"I'm glad to do it. I owe all of you so much. I'm not sure that I could ever repay you," Zuko said. "I want all of you to make yourselves at home here. Not just in the palace, but the Fire Nation as a whole. Everyone here will treat you with the utmost respect. The people are very grateful for all that you've done, and so am I." Zuko raised his glass, "here's to all of you, my friends, for accepting me and for your assistance now, and in the future, in righting the wrongs of my family."

"And here's to you Zuko, our friend. For your resolve to do what was right. We couldn't have completed our mission without you." Aang said raising his glass.

"Here, here," everyone said in unison.

"There's still much work to do," Zuko said.

"But we'll see it through, all of us, together. Until balance has been restored," Aang said.

Everyone smiled and looked at each other. Here they were, all together, the hard part of their mission accomplished, the war over and peaceful times ahead. But for now, it was time for breakfast.

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This is my first story so go easy on me ;) Please R&R lemme know what you think. I appreciate all comments and constructive criticism. I never really considered myself a writer but I kinda enjoy it, but anyways. Not sure how often I'll update considering I don't own a computer, but will do asap. Hope you like :)


	2. Ch 2The Coronation

_It's been a while since I've been able to get online and I was pleasantly surprised that I had so many reviews for one chapter! Thank you all for the helpful reviews! I did a little editing in Ch. 1 for ease of reading thanks to a couple of tips. As far as Katara being called Mistress instead of Master? I appreciate the suggestions, but Pakku called her Master Katara so that's good enough for me ;) Thank you all…so here goes the 2__nd__ installment._

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Ch 2. The Coronation

Aang emerged from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. He was feeling refreshed and energized from the bath as he walked down the long hallway toward his room. He stopped in front of his door when he felt a trickle of something on his lower back. He swept his right hand across it, then examined his fingertips…blood.

"What the…" He arched his right shoulder forward and turned his head as far as he could to try to see the wound on his back. Just then, Katara opened the door to her room and stepped into the hallway.

"Hi, Aang are you--Oh my goodness_, what_ happened?!"

Before he could answer Katara had opened the door to his room and swept him inside, closing the door behind them.

"Come, sit," she said motioning to the vanity stool directly across the room. Aang sat on the cushioned, red velvet seat.

"I think it got reopened during the fight with Ozai," he explained.

"The scar tissue was punctured," she said examining the wound, then asked him, "are you in any pain?"

"No, I just felt something trickling down my back. You showed up right as I noticed it was blood," he said. She poured water from a carafe sitting on the vanity into the wash basin, grabbed a rag from the drawer and soaked it in the water. She wrung the excess water from it and turned to Aang's back to wash the blood from his skin, then repeated the process until it was clean.

"Is it bad?" he asked her, tensing slightly as she moved the rag over the open wound.

"Not really. The warm water from your bath must have softened the scab that had formed. It's a little deep, but the bleeding has stopped." Katara put the rag in the basin, bent clean water from the carafe, and formed it over her hands. She placed them over the scar inhaling through her nose and exhaling through her mouth, focusing her energy. Her hands began to glow and she felt Aang relax beneath her touch.

"How does that feel?"

Aang smiled, "much better." She left her hands there for a few more moments then bent the water into the basin.

"That should do for now. Check with me later and we'll do another session if you need it."

"Thank you Katara," he said, giving her an appreciative grin.

"You're welcome," she replied with a soft smile. They heard a sudden banging on her door across the hall and then heard Sokka's voice; he seemed excited.

"Katara!", followed by more fervent knocks. "You in there?" She crossed the room and opened the door.

"Over here, Sokka." He turned quickly, his fist still raised as he was about to apply more enthusiastic knocks to her door.

"Hey! I was just…_hey_ what's going on _here_?" he asked narrowing his eyes at Aang's toweled form.

"The scar on Aang's back was reopened in the battle," she explained quickly motioning to him. "It was bleeding and he needed some help to stop it. Why are you pounding on my door like that anyway? What's going on?"

"They've released the war prisoners and Dad's here. You coming down?" Sokka asked his expression now softened.

"Dad's here?" Her eyes lit up and she turned to Aang, "are you coming down with us?"

Aang shook his head. "No, actually I'm going to meet up with Zuko after I get ready. He wants me to walk out with him at the coronation."

"Oh that's great! He must want to give you some recognition at the ceremony," she beamed at him and gave him a hug. "We'll see you later then."

"Okay," he said smiling. Sokka and Katara left the room closing the door behind them. Aang turned around and scratched the back of his head with a confused look on his face. "That's the plan anyway, but what am I supposed to wear?" He grabbed his bag from the closet and threw it on the bed. Just as he began to open it he noticed a package on his bed neatly bound with a red velvet ribbon and a scroll sitting on top of it. He raised an eyebrow and reached for the scroll, letting it fall open. He read over the neat writing:

_'Aang:_

_I had the seamstress make this suit for you to wear for the coronation as a token of my appreciation. It is fashioned in traditional Air Nation ceremonial dress. I researched it as best as I could. I hope it is accurate and to your liking._

_Many Thanks,_

_Zuko'_

Aang's eyes widened in excitement as he untied the ribbon from the box and removed the suit piece by piece. On top, lay a beautiful necklace, that traditionally, the Air Nation's Masters had worn. Each necklace was always unique, usually being made by the Airbender's mentor or guardian. This piece was especially touching, as Aang felt he would not receive one since Gyatso had passed so many years ago and he didn't complete his training with Guru Pathik. The necklace had beads of jade and a stone medallion with the Air Nation symbol engraved into it. Hanging from the medallion were three red-orange tassels of fine silken threads. Aang picked up the necklace and smiled, placing it carefully to the side. He then pulled out the shawl and shirt and placed them to the side as well. He took the red-orange belt into his hand, then the pants, leaving the shoes at the bottom of the box. The suit was beautifully made, with very fine fabric and in just the right shade of yellow. He dressed in the suit and tightened the belt around his waist. He then walked over to the vanity, necklace in hand, and placed it around his neck.

He admired his reflection for a moment before stating to himself, "wow, Zuko's really outdone himself with this one. It's perfect." He put the shoes on and left the room in search of Zuko.

--o--o--o--o--o--

Outside the palace, Katara, Sokka and Hakoda chatted excitedly with old friends and new acquaintances. The conversations were positive and hopeful, and everyone was looking forward to going home to start anew. A new beginning awaited them in their respective homelands, one without war, angst, fear, or uncertainty. They all reveled in this new feeling of freedom and were all appreciative of all the Gaang had sacrificed for this newfound freedom.

The Fire Sages came out and lined up with their heads bowed. Shyu stepped forward, held his hand up, and the crowd hushed.

"We shall now commence the coronation ceremony. Citizens of the Fire Nation and the world, may I present your Fire Prince, Zuko." One of the Sages rang a gong as Zuko walked down the aisle of columns toward the platform where he would receive his crown. The crowd cheered when he stopped, then he smiled and raised his hand.

"Please…the real hero, is the Avatar," he said motioning to his right as Aang made his way to the platform to join him. The attendees erupted again with cheers as Aang looked out over the crowd with a look of pure contentment on his face. Katara gazed up at him, love, admiration, and pride beaming from within her. When Aang met her gaze, a smile crossed his lips. Hakoda looked at his daughter, then to Aang, then back to Katara, sensing the unspoken emotion between the two.

'_Well, would you look at that,' _he thought to himself chuckling, _'Katara…and the Avatar?'_ His heart swelled with pride as he was thankful for the good fortune of his children. Though Kya was not there to share in their happiness in person, he knew she would always be with them in spirit. _'Destiny is such a funny thing. Though Kya's demise saddened our family, that event made Katara and Sokka who they are today. Her brave spirit is a part of them now,' _he thought smiling, a tear tracing its way over his strong features. He was brought out of deep thought when he heard Zuko begin to speak. He gave a touching and sincere speech before the head Fire Sage spoke.

"All hail Fire Lord Zuko!" Another wave of gracious cheers came from the multitude as Zuko stood and motioned for Aang to join him. They walked down the stairs together…the Avatar and the Fire Lord. When they reached the bottom, Katara ran up to Aang and threw her arms around his neck.

"I am so proud of you!" she exclaimed, hugging him tightly.

"Thank you. But if it weren't for you guys, none of this would be possible." He pulled away from Katara to face her. "This is your victory too." They both smiled. "Ow!" Aang winced and grabbed his arm.

"Way to go, Twinkle Toes," Toph said smirking.

"Thanks," he said as he hugged her. Sokka hobbled over to him with his crutch.

"Heeeey, _nice _outfit!" he said pointing toward Aang.

"Thanks. Zuko had it made for me," Aang said while smoothing his shirt.

"Good job, buddy," he said putting his arm around Aang's shoulders. "Now, how's _this_ for hero worship, huh? Huh?!" he said waving his crutch toward the crowd. Hakoda came and shook Aang's hand.

"Well done, son," he complimented. Aang bowed toward him and smiled. The crowd soon surrounded them all, bestowing thanks and questions on them. Most of the attention, of course, fell upon Aang. Katara quietly withdrew herself away from the bustling crowd and sat on the corner of one of the rectangular ponds in the courtyard, a proud smile gracing her features. She crossed her legs and turned to the water, bending it into small loops and ripples, and she let her thoughts wander back over their adventures together. They had worked so hard to get to this point, and, Aang had been right after all: they could finally relax a little.

_'So long as this peaceful aftermath holds out,' _she thought. She hoped it would, for Aang's sake, to give him a little mental rest before having to get involved in the much more tedious political aspect of the world's recovery. She smiled as she thought about what he might want to do with her today. No matter what he had planned, she knew what was top priority on her agenda: to apologize for blowing him off and let him know exactly how she feels about him. She grinned as she recognized her resolve, and looked up to see the crowd had begun to thin out due to the announcement of a celebratory banquet in Zuko's and their honor. She stood to follow the crowd and noticed Sokka limping toward her with all the speed he could muster, with Suki standing at the foot of the stairs shaking her head and smirking.

"Katara! _Where_ have you been? Come quick! I've never seen anything like it!" She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest. She knew from his tone that it was something he deemed serious, but nothing dire.

"And what _exactly_ are you babbling about?" she asked, amused. He grabbed her hand and pulled her in the direction the crowd was headed.

"It's beautiful! I've never seen so much food in my entire life!" he cried joyously. She laughed and rolled her eyes walking with him toward the banquet hall.

"Hey guys, wait up!" they heard Aang call from behind them. They joined Suki at the stairs' edge and helped Sokka climb them. They walked back down the columned aisle, through the large doorway and into a grand common room of the palace. They went to their left to follow the others into a huge room with several red-clothed tables and chairs and long buffet-like tables full of a wide array of foods from all over the world. The look on Sokka's face was one of pure joy as he giddily clapped his hands together while Katara, Aang and Suki laughed at him. They made their way to the tables of food and found Zuko there.

"Help yourself! The kitchen staff has worked on this feast all day. They made a point to include several traditional dishes from all the nations," he said to the group. "Also, there are several vegetarian dishes since we knew you didn't eat meat," he directed toward Aang, to which he nodded in appreciation. Sokka wasted no time and grabbed two large plates for himself, handing one of them to Suki.

"Could you help me out?" he asked her. The group looked at him with raised eyebrows and smirks. "What?! _I'm_ the _injured_ one. I shouldn't have to get back up for seconds," he said sticking his nose in the air. "Ow!" he cried, grabbing his arm where Toph punched him.

"Whatever Sokka, you _know_ you would get two platefuls anyway," Toph said laughing at his attempted cover up. The group all started laughing as Sokka blushed.

"Take all you want…really," Zuko said with a giggle in his voice. "This banquet is in your honor too, you know." After everyone had gotten their plates, they sat together to eat, good vibes and smiles in abundance.

--o--o--o--o--o--

It was early evening when the banquet had finally ended, and large groups gathered on the 'river side' of the palace. Zuko had arranged for several ships to take the citizens back to their nations. They all said their farewells and the ships began to depart one by one as they became full. Katara waved to the last ship carrying the remainder of the Water Tribe warriors, and went to find Aang. When she spotted him, she walked up and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, Aang. You wanna come for a quick walk with me? There's something I need to talk to you about."

"Sure!" he said without hesitating. They walked arm in arm toward an empty pier, sitting down there with their feet dangling over the edge. Katara looked toward the sunset, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. She was clearly nervous. She looked toward Aang who was also enjoying the rosy glow of the sunset.

"So much for our plans today huh?" Katara began.

"Yeah," Aang replied, "it's okay though. There's always tomorrow," he said grinning at her.

"That's true…" she trailed off, looking at her lap and playing with a tress of hair.

"So," Aang said, "what's on your mind?" Katara felt heat rising in her cheeks.

"Well…um…Aang I think I should--"

"Kataraaaaa!"

"Is that Sokka?" she asked, both of them jumping to their feet.

"Katara!" Sokka cried again.

"Sokka over here!" she called out to him. She knew this time something wasn't right and she ran as fast as she could toward him.

"Katara--" he said catching his breath. "They need you to come home right away. This message just arrived…it's Gran-Gran," he said looking worried. He held the scroll up to her and she took it, reading it wide-eyed as tears sprung into her eyes.

"Katara, what is it?" Aang asked her concerned.

"Gran-Gran has fallen ill, she's not doing well. There are no healers there to help her and she keeps asking for me. I have to go right away," she said letting her tears spill onto her cheeks.

"Dad's going to go with you. He's talking to Zuko about getting a boat for the trip right now," Sokka said. They began to walk toward Hakoda when Aang grabbed Katara's hand. She looked at him, his brows were scrunched together and he was looking at the pier below them.

"You should take Appa. Taking a ship won't be fast enough," he said looking up at her.

"Appa? But what if you--" she began.

"If we end up leaving here before you get back I'll travel by ship with the others. Besides, traveling with Appa will be the safest way for you to get there." Katara hugged him tightly.

"Thank you so much."

"Go get your things, I'll get Appa ready for you and meet you at the stables." Katara nodded and ran toward the palace and Sokka put his hand on Aang's shoulder.

"Thank you, Aang," he said quietly. "This really means a lot."

"I wish I could do more, but my place is here, with Zuko." He looked at Sokka, "he needs us right now."

--o--o--o--o--o--

Aang sat the camping supplies down next to Appa and petted his nose.

"Hey buddy. I need you to take Katara home. Protect her for me okay?" Appa grunted in response and Aang smiled hugging the huge beast as best as he could. He walked to where the saddle was and air bent it onto Appa's back, then loaded the supplies onto him and tied them down. He heard footsteps in the stables and turned around to see Katara standing there, bags in hand. He jumped to the ground and walked toward her to take her bags.

"I'm not sure how long I'll be gone," she said frowning. Aang turned and tossed her bags up to the saddle.

"I know, but it's okay. Take all the time you need. Family is what's most important right now," he said. She wrapped her arms around him.

"Thank you, Aang. This really means a lot to me," she said as she pulled away from him grabbing hold of his hands. "And my dad," she added as Hakoda and Sokka entered the stables holding baskets of food.

"I'm happy to help in any way I can. That's what family is for. We take care of each other, right?" he said grinning. He let go of her hands and looked to Hakoda, "things are still unstable in other areas of the Fire Nation. Any rebel forces who spot you and see you're connected to me will surely attack you. It's good you packed plenty of food, that way you'll only have to stop temporarily to eat and not venture too far away from Appa," he took the baskets from them and air bent them to the saddle. "Once you feed him later, he'll be good to fly through the night," he paused thoughtfully. "The Southern Air Temple is about a day's flight from here in the Batola Mountain Range. It's a good halfway point between the Fire Nation and the South Pole. You can stop there to rest where no one can follow you and you'll be safe. From there it will be about another day's flight to the South Pole." Hakoda shook his hand.

"I'm grateful for your assistance Aang," he said. They bowed to each other and Aang led Appa out of the stables. Hakoda hugged Sokka then climbed up into the saddle. Katara hugged Aang again, closing her eyes tightly trying to hold back tears.

"Thank you," she whispered softly into his ear. He smiled as he hugged her back, trying hard to keep his composure due to the rush her whispering sent down the left side of his body.

"You should go, your grandmother needs you," he said pulling back from her embrace. Katara climbed up to take Appa's reins. "Be safe, only stop on the way to the Temple if it's necessary. We'll send word if we leave the Fire Nation before you get back," Aang said to them both. Katara and Hakoda both nodded.

"Yip-yip!" Katara said flicking Appa's reins. Aang and Sokka waved as they lifted into the air, and Katara glanced back with a solemn look on her face. She turned back toward the front and they flew out of sight. Sokka then turned to Aang, noticing his brow was wrinkled with concern.

"Don't worry Aang, _she'll be fine_," Sokka said as if he could read his thoughts. Aang's eyebrows shot quickly upward.

"What--what do you mean? I'm worried about them both! It could be a dangerous trip and--"

"Sure ya are buddy," Sokka replied with a smirk patting his shoulder, "sure ya are. Come on let's go inside. I hear leftovers calling my name."

Aang blushed as he looked toward the sky where Appa had faded out of sight, then turned to follow Sokka, wondering just how much he _really_ knew.

--o--o--o--o--o--

* * *

Whew! Thurr ya go! Don't you just love teen angst? Sigh Anyways enjoy & let me know how you like it…your criticism is helpful…


	3. Ch 3Confession Sessions

Oh the anticipation is unbearable! I got my sister's laptop so I can finally update. I was able to read some reviews from my cell phone and I must admit it inspired me, and, as always I thank those of you who have reviewed. You make it easy to want to continue writing. I was able to enjoy some new fics from my phone, cuz yeah I'm addicted like that. There's lots of good ones floating around. Keep up the awesome work everybody! There are too many that I really liked to list. I was jealous I couldn't update my own story…so anyway…here goes.

* * *

Chapter 3: Confession Sessions

The sun shone with all it's late afternoon glory as Katara and her father were making excellent time en route to the Southern Air Temple. They had only stopped momentarily the previous night to quickly eat and feed Appa and were again airborne within half an hour. Their instincts had told them not to linger for too long on the crescent-shaped island at the southern tip of the Fire Nation, heeding Aang's warning of a possible resistance of Ozai loyalists.

Katara was on her second shift of flying while Hakoda was napping in the saddle. He awoke to fluffy clouds passing quickly overhead, noticing it was early evening from the sun's position in the sky. He yawned, stretched, and sat upright to greet his daughter.

"How are we doing?"

"Oh, hey, Dad. We're making good time, it shouldn't be too much longer. How was your nap?"

"Surprisingly restful," he replied with another stretch. "I wasn't sure I would get much sleep up here, but it's actually quite peaceful."

"Oh, yeah. I forgot this was your first time flying." She turned to face him. "I should have asked you if you were comfortable. I'm sorry. I guess I've just been a little preoccupied thinking about Gran-Gran's condition," she said, her voice concern-laden.

"No worries, Katara. I understand, I'm worried about her too." He crawled to the front of the saddle. "I've actually been very comfortable. Appa and I had a chance to get to know each other while you slept this morning. Isn't that right boy?" He leaned forward to scratch Appa between the shoulders. Appa groaned in reply and Hakoda chuckled.

Katara smiled and gave Appa an affectionate scratch behind the ear, when she noticed out of the corner of her eye the first small islands of the Batola Mountain Range coming into view.

"We're almost there Dad! Look, there's the start of the island chain there," she claimed in excitement pointing downward.

Hakoda leaned over to see, then shifted his glance from the islands to his daughter, who suddenly seemed to be lost in her thoughts.

"It was very kind of Aang to allow us to travel with his bison," Hakoda mentioned. Something about her expression told him of whom she had been thinking.

Katara's eyebrows raised quickly as she turned her attention to her father. "Yes, it was," she agreed.

"Apart from being the Avatar, Aang seems to be a really decent guy," Hakoda stated.

A small smile crept across her lips. "He is. He's got to be the most genuine and compassionate person I've ever met."

"The two of you seem to be very close," the Chief implied, now studying his daughter's expression with an analytical eye.

Katara smiled sheepishly, unable to hide the blush that flooded her cheeks upon the mentioning of the _closeness_ of their relationship. She quickly recovered, adding a remark she hoped sounded indifferent.

"Of course we are. He's my best friend. We've all been through a lot together over the past few months. He and Sokka are like brothers, right down to teasing me and grossing me out," she said giggling nervously. She hoped she had succeeded in avoiding her father's implication.

"Ha ha!" Hakoda laughed heartily. "Yeah, I can see that happening." He paused momentarily, relaxing his back against the side of the saddle and crossing his arms across his chest. "How old is Aang anyway? Are he and Sokka close in age?"

Katara turned around fully to face her father. "He's thirteen, although, he's never mentioned a birthdate. He was raised by monks; they didn't dwell on things like that. They taught their apprentices to be detached from worldly distractions. He says it was so their spirits could be free," she pondered this for a moment, "while, I can't imagine why they would want to deprive the kids of at least some acknowledegement on their birthday." She frowned a little. Birthdays in her homeland were always celebrated with a meal with the tribe. She couldn't imagine missing out on such an opportunity for a family to celebrate together.

"Hmm. That's interesting," Hakoda said. "Does he still consider himself a monk, or, hold to their beliefs?"

"Well, I'm not so sure he considers himself a monk in a literal sense. That culture disappeared over a hundred years ago. He's struggled with that, but he does still cling to their beliefs. He doesn't eat meat, and believes that all life is sacred. He flat out refused to kill Ozai, even when all of us were insisting it was the only way." Katara leaned back on her hands balancing her weight, and sat with her legs crisscrossed. "He always brings up tokens of the wisdom he gained from the monks. They had an interesting way of looking at the world, very philosophical. They made Aang the person he is. He's such a free spirit. He's taught me a lot…" she trailed off, watching the sun sparkle on the ocean's surface. "It's amazing to me that he's held on to those aspects of his personality, given all that he's been through. His people and his entire culture were wiped out, yet, he still displays incredible inner strength…I really admire that about him."

"He must draw some of that strength from his past lives," Hakoda said. "It seems he's weathered more than his fair share of storms. He's an exceptional young man."

Katara nodded in agreement. "He's got a truly unbendable spirit," she said.

Hakoda nodded slowly and looked at the mountains in the distance growing closer. Katara followed his gaze and turned her body slightly away from him. They sat in silence for a few minutes, admiring the breathtaking view before them. After a short time had passed, Hakoda looked to Katara. "Speaking of birthdays. You're fifteenth birthday is coming up soon. It's only a couple of months away now," he said.

"Yeah", she replied, not breaking her gaze away from the mountains. "Maybe we can all celebrate as a family this year." She smiled at her father, and he nodded, smiling.

"You know, not to sound too forward, but usually when a Water Tribe girl turns fifteen, she begins searching for a capable man to marry. Now, before you say anything, and I don't really mean to pry, but because you've had the opportunity to travel, I was kind of wondering…if you had found anyone you may consider. I mean, since sixteen is regarded as the age in which marriage is appropriate." He looked at her with raised eybrows and a sideways glance, while Katara's eyes widened in shock. Her heart began to race within her chest. Just what was he saying?

"Why would you bring _that_ up, Dad? I don't need your help if that's what you're getting at." Her eyes narrowed. "My upbringing has been anything but traditional. I don't expect you would hold me to the custom of marrying at sixteen."

"Well, what did you have in mind?" he inquired.

"I would think that you would trust me to make that decision for myself, when I'm _ready_. With all that's happened recently , I just don't think I'm quite there yet. Besides the fact that there's still so much work to be done in helping Aang restore peace. I intend on going back once Gran-Gran is better." She looked down, feeling a little like she was turning her back on her father, her grandmother, her tribe. "I'm sorry, but life is different for me now. I finally know where my place is. I spent all of my younger years wondering if I would ever get the chance to make a difference. Now I've been given that chance…and I know my work isn't done yet." She looked at Hakoda, a little fearful that he would be hurt, but relaxed when she saw understanding in his eyes.

"Fair enough. I believe you'll make the right decision when the time comes. But I was just wondering…because you know Kanna will ask you about your future endeavors. I wanted you to be prepared to answer that question." Hakoda smiled slightly.

"Well I don't really want to talk about my personal life if you don't mind. I'd really rather just focus on getting home and helping Gran-Gran get better." With that she turned away from her dad, signaling that the topic was no longer up for discussion.

"I'm sorry, Katara. I just--"

"Dad look! We're here!" she interrupted, pointing ahead of them toward the beautiful temple.

"And we made it before susnset," Hakoda marveled at the speed with which they had traveled such a long distance.

Katara leaned over to 'hug' Appa and scratch his head. "Thank you Appa, now you can finally get some rest." Appa grunted in relief. Katara sat up straight closing her eyes whispering, "we made it Aang…we're safe."

--o--o--o--o--o--

The sun was setting on Aang as he sat meditating in the center of one of the palace gardens. He had found quite the perfect spot that reminded him a little of the Spirit Oasis in the North Pole. There was a pallet of soft grass, a quaint waterfall that emitted a soothing trickling sound, and a small pond that swirled in front of him before finding its way downstream. He was surrounded by a beautiful arrangement of flowering plants and shrubs, and a few trees dotted around the area. While out for a walk, he had not intended to meditate, but the atmosphere was so tranquil, it seemed to beckon him to stop and absorb it. So, here he sat, wrapped in this tranquility, when a soft whisper interrupted his peaceful state of mind:

"We made it Aang, we're safe."

His eyes flew open. "Katara?!"

Funny how the universe communicates with one when it has a message to deliver. He moved to sit with one knee and one hand to the ground, closing his eyes and concentrating, tyring to sense Katara's, Hakoda's, or Appa's energy. After a few minutes, he smiled and relaxed, having picked up the faint but calm energy signatures of the three. He stood and began to walk back to the palace feeling that a burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

--o--o--o--o--o--

Aang took dinner in his room, eating out on his balcony with Momo. He laughed as his pet scurried between the different platters, taking several items from each one.

"Calm down buddy, it's just us tonight. There's plenty to go around." Aang looked up at the sky; there was no moon tonight. He sighed…just as the sky was missing the moon, he was missing Katara.

The rest of the group was dining out. He had considered going with them until Zuko and Sokka started talking about how good that particular restaurant's roasted turtle duck was. After seeing the cute little creatures on the palace grounds, he decided he'd rather not see one on a platter. Aang pushed his plate away and sank back in his chair as Momo hopped into his lap, curling up with his tummy full. Aang petted him along his back, staring blankly out toward the ocean.

"I wonder what Katara was going to say earlier", he said. Momo purred and looked up at him. "You miss her too, huh? Yeah… it's gonna be weird with her being gone. She's been with me just about everyday since they found me." He scratched Momo's ear, "I hope her Gran-Gran is alright." He sat there for a while, enjoying the cool breeze coming off the ocean.

Autumn was coming soon, it was evident in the coolness of the night. Aang thought about how he had always especially liked the Fall. The Air Temple was always beautiful that time of year, with the trees all different shades of yellow, orange, and red, and the sky the most brilliant shade of blue, he remembered. As a child, he used to use his air bending to make funnels of air to pick up the fallen leaves. Gyatso had described them as "Autumn Cyclones", and would laugh as Aang and his friends jumped into the piles of leaves that formed when Aang released them from the whirlwind. The elders never seemed to mind. At least it kept them from having to rake the leaves from the courtyards. He smiled at the fond memory and found himself anticipating the upcoming season.

He heard voices traveling up the corridor.

'_Everyone must be back from dinner.'_ He stood and picked up his tray from the table, and walked into his room. He heard Sokka yell "Ow!" and laughter ensue from Suki and Toph.

"G'night Twinkle Toes," Toph called out holding two fingers up over her head as she passed Aang's open door.

"Goodnight," he called back, as he sat his dinner tray outside his door in the hall. He heard Sokka and Suki talking quietly to each other. He turned to walk back to the balcony when he felt a presence behind him. He squinted his eyes shut and tensed, he knew who it was.

"Can I come in?" Sokka asked from behind him.

Aang looked at him. "Sure, what's up?"

Sokka came in and closed the door behind him. "We need to talk."

Aang gulped, "um okay, what about? Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, I suppose," Sokka stated. "Can we sit down?" he asked, pointing to his still bandaged leg.

"Yeah, sure. Here," Aang said, offering to help Sokka out to the balcony.

Sokka held his hand up and smirked, "I got it, I got it," he said limping toward the door. Aang walked out ahead of him and pulled a chair out from the table for Sokka. Aang sat and stared at him, waiting for Sokka to start talking. Sokka stretched his injured leg out to the chair across from him and reached across the table for the tea pot.

"I'll get it for you," Aang said as he poured a cup of tea for Sokka.

"Thanks," Sokka said, relaxing in his chair. Aang twiddled his thumbs nervously, watching Sokka sip his tea. "I need you to tell me something…and be honest." He set his cup of tea on the table and looked at Aang, his expression serious and flat.

"How do you feel about my sister?"

Aang's eyes got wide as he scratched the back of his neck. "Um, well…heh," he blushed furiously and looked at Sokka, whose expression had not changed, even given Aang's obvious embarrassment. Aang took a deep breath and tried to steady himself to try to find the right words, lest he face the wrath of an angry older brother. He let a small smile curl on his lips as he looked at his lap, still blushing. "She's beautiful--"

"Well there better be a lot more to it than that," Sokka interrupted, his tone sharp. He narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms across his chest.

"Of course there is! Katara means a lot to me." Aang paused for a moment, trying to put his feelings into words. "She's my balance, my voice of reason, my strength when I can't seem to muster any. When my emotions get the better of me, she's the only one who calms me. She's my best friend…uh, next to you of course," he said smirking at Sokka. He looked down again.

"I love her." He admitted it. Simply and smoothly, surprising himself. He searched Sokka's face for a change in expression, approval, disapproval, something. There was nothing. He just picked up his tea and sipped it. Right as Aang was about to say something, Sokka spoke.

"Have you told her that?"

Aang looked down again, "well sort of, I guess, well…no."

"Why not?"

Aang sighed deeply, "it's not like it's that easy."

"See! All of this could have been avoided if you would have _maintained aloofness_." Sokka added matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, about that…aloof really doesn't work for me. Like you should talk anyway. I didn't see you _maintaining aloofness_-" he said making air quotes, "-with Suki.." Aang said folding his arms across his chest.

"Hey, that was not the same situation. She made the first move, and _for your information_ I told her it wasn't a good idea at first. _That's_ how you maintain aloofness, my friend."

"Riiiight. That's why you were spazzing over her safety all day on the Serpent's Pass, and I'll bet your telling her it wasn't a good idea had something to do with Yue. Am I right?" Aang teased.

Sokka paused with his finger in the air and mouth agape, the point he was trying to make suddenly deflated by the Avatar's totally accurate accusation. He waved his hand around dismissing his comment. "Whatever, moving on. This isn't about me and Suki, we're talking about _you_ and _Katara_."

Aang blushed with a goofy grin on his face. Hearing Sokka speak of them collectively that way was somewhat of a relief, like Sokka accepted his feelings for her. Sokka groaned at Aang's expression and rolled his eyes.

"Well if you haven't told her how you feel about her, then how is she supposed to know?"

Aang's blush reached a deep crimson. "Well, I guess I didn't _exactly_ use _words_."

Sokka's brows knitted together in confusion for a split second before they shot up to his hairline and his mouth dropped open. "You _kissed_ my sister?! Where was I?!"

"Mm-hm-mm," Aang shrugged.

"Okay, well _when_ did _this_ happen?" Sokka asked in disbelief.

"Well--" Aang began, "the first time--"

"WHAT?!" Sokka shouted, throwing his hands in the air. "How did this happen more than once without me knowing?!"

"Mm-hm-mm," Aang shrugged again. "So, um," he paused and took a deep breath. "The first time, and I'm not even sure it counts, was in the cave outside Omashu." He noticed Sokka open his mouth to say something so he quickly continued. "It was her idea. Our torch was about to burn out and we were afraid of being lost in the cave. She thought us kissing would be the only way out of the curse, you know, to trust in love. So, we did it, right as our torch was burning out. It wasn't anything major, our lips just touched, really, before we noticed light coming from these crystals on the ceiling. That's what lead us to the cave's exit. The second time, though, was a _little_ different."

"The Secret Love Cave. I should've known." Sokka said smirking. "And the second time?"

"It happened before the invasion, on top of the subs when we came up for air. After your dad told us it was time to go, you all went back below decks. We were talking and she commented on how much I've grown up and that she was proud of me. I said something about everything being different after that day and she agreed. Then a thought occurred to me. If I didn't make it, she would have never known how I felt about her. There really wasn't any time for words, so I just kissed her."

"How did she react to it?" Sokka asked, somewhat intrigued.

"She returned it, but she looked a little sad after. I'm not sure what she was thinking. With all the stuff that happened after the invasion, we really didn't get a chance to talk about it," Aang said shrugging.

"So that's it? You just left it at that?" Sokka asked.

"Not exactly. I confronted her on her feelings for me the night of that stupid play on Ember Island."

"Haha yeah…that play was _hilarious_," Sokka said reaching for his tea.

"Glad _you_ thought so. I got sick of watching it so I went outside. She came out there with me a little while later and we talked about how dumb the play was, then I asked her if she really felt the way the play depicted her: that I was like her _brother_ and that she didn't have feelings for me."

"Ooh, and what did she say?"

"I don't know."

"Uh, what do you mean you don't know?" Sokka asked confusedly.

"No, that's what she said. She told me those were the actor's words, not hers. Then I said it was true though, that we had kissed at the invasion and I thought we were going to be together…and she said 'I don't know'." Aang looked down at his lap. "I totally messed up."

"How did you mess up, Aang?"

" I pushed her for an answer, asking her why she didn't know. She started to talk about the war and having other things to think about. She said it wasn't the right time. So I asked her when the right time would be…and she told me that she was confused." Aang looked sad for the first time during their conversation. "So I thought if I kissed her that it would help her make up her mind. But I was wrong. She got mad, scolded me, and stormed off," he said frowning.

"Hm," Sokka hummed while thinking. "Maybe your timing wasn't so great, but I know my sister, and she's a lot of things, but she's not confused."

"But she said--"

"I _know_ what she _said_, but you haven't seen things from the same angle I have." Sokka said.

"What do you mean?" Aang asked_. _It was his turn to be confused.

"I've noticed Katara acting different around you. Ever since you got hurt in Ba Sing Se, she's been totally protective. But it's more than that." Sokka paused to again sip his tea. "I tried to deny it at first, because it's just hard for me to accept that my little sister is growing up. But I saw that she was beginning to think of you as more that just a friend, starting the night Azula shot you." Aang shifted in his seat. Just talking about that night made him feel uncomfortable.

"When she met us at the surface, she was struggling to carry you, so Toph and I helped get you onto Appa so we could get to safety. She couldn't really tell us what happened, all she said was, 'Azula….lightning'. It was then I noticed, that light usually present in her eyes was gone. She thought you were gone, and so did I, and I knew my sister would never be the same. But when she used that special water, and you woke up, instantly the light returned to her eyes, and she held you. She hardly left your side the entire time you were out. Some nights, she even fell asleep on the floor beside your bed."

Aang wrinkled his brow at Sokka's words, "I never knew that."

"Yep," Sokka stated, "and then after that, while we were in the Fire Nation, I could tell things were different between you two."

"So you don't think she's angry with me?" Aang asked, sounding hopeful.

"Not at all," Sokka said matter-of-factly. "You said this happened on Ember Island? I couldn't tell anything had happened between you two. She probably just wrote it off as war-related stress. I mean, just yesterday you two were walking to breakfast together and hanging out on that pier. She's not mad at you, trust me, _I_ would know," Sokka said pointing at his chest. "You know, you're pretty clueless to be _so_ full of wisdom." Aang laughed, a little embarrassed.

"But seriously," Sokka began, "if you two are going to do this, there's a couple of things I need to say first."

Aang gave Sokka his signature grin and nodded, "okay."

Sokka held up one finger, "first Katara's kind of got these walls up. A tough exterior with a 'not always able to be so tough' interior. If she's opened up to you, and _kissed_ you," he said with a cringe, "that's a pretty big deal. I expect you to appreciate that for what it's worth."

He held up a second finger, "also, Katara is fiercely loyal and faithful to those she cares about. She has a big heart and will forego her own needs for those of another. I expect you to never take advantage of those qualities. Now, I know you probably already know those things about her, but it was necessary to point them out to bring me to my third point," he said holding up a third finger, "if you hurt her, I'll hurt you." Sokka pointed his fingers in Aang's chest.

Aang pushed his hand away, beaming widely. He stood from his chair, folded his hands together and bowed toward Sokka. "You have my word. I would never hurt Katara."

Sokka stretched and stood from his chair, "good, now that we've gotten that out of the way I can get some sleep."

Aang looked at Sokka, "um, hey. What about your dad? Do you think he would approve? I know the Water Tribe has these _customs_."

Sokka began to walk toward the door leading into Aang's room. "Don't worry about that Aang, you're the Avatar. From a father's perspective, it doesn't get any better than that…" he turned to look Aang in the eye. "…and I can't think of anyone else I would rather see my sister with. If _you_ make her happy, then that makes _me_ happy." He walked through the doorway, then popped his head back out, "goodnight, Aang."

"Goodnight, Sokka." Aang looked at the ocean again, yawned and stretched. "Maybe it'll all work out after all." He walked into his room, air bending a breeze toward his oil lamp to extinguish the light. He removed his shoes and shirt and climbed into bed where Momo was already asleep. He snuggled into his pillows and blanket and whispered, "I miss you Katara," before drifting off to sleep.

--o--o--o--o--o--

Meanwhile at the Southern Air Temple, Katara and her father were sitting by their campfire. A breeze was blowing in from the Southwest, making Katara shiver. She pulled a blanket from her bedroll and wrapped it around her shoulders.

"Good thing Aang packed us some extra blankets. It's a little cool tonight," she said, pulling the soft material tighter around her body.

"Autumn will be setting in soon. You think you'll be able to handle the cold weather back home?" Hakoda asked her teasingly.

Katara smiled. "I've only been gone for about 9 months, Dad. That hardly removes me from fourteen years lived in the South Pole. Although, I did enjoy the warm weather. We got to visit so many beautiful places."

"Meeting Aang has changed your and Sokka's lives completely hasn't it?" Hakoda asked.

"It has, in so many ways," Katara agreed nodding. "I've had the opportunity to master water bending, and Sokka's well on his way to becoming a master swordsman. We've met so many wonderful people and learned about different cultures and customs. We got to learn a lot about our own culture when we visited the North Pole. Aang and I even got to train there with Master Pakku, who married Gran-Gran by the way, did you hear?"

"Yes I heard!" Hakoda replied. "They were engaged many years ago. That's pretty amazing."

"Yeah…Oh! Did I tell you I met a woman living in the Fire Nation who was a water bender from the Southern Water Tribe?"

"No, I don't think so. How did she end up in the Fire Nation?" Hakoda asked, intrigued. He knew that there had been no water benders in the Southern Tribe for quite some time before Katara.

"Her name is Hama, she was taken from home about sixty years ago in a raid. She taught me many useful water bending techniques and about my heritage. She had a bit of a dark side, though. After being held in a Fire Nation prison for many years, she developed a technique called blood bending, that she used to control the soldiers' bodies to escape."

Hakoda furrowed his brows together, "_blood_ bending?"

Katara nodded as she responded, "yes. She learned to control another's body by bending the fluids in it. She was bent on revenge and she had started to take innocent people and lock them in a dungeon during every full moon."

"Wow," her father said. "Did she teach you this technique too?"

"More forced it on me that taught it to me. She turned Aang and Sokka on one another and I had no choice but to stop her before they hurt each other." Katara hugged her knees to her chest, eyes downcast. "It's a technique I hope I never have to use again." They were both silent for a moment, before Katara changed the subject. "Speaking of revenge…I found the man who took Mom away from us."

The color drained from Hakoda's face as he stared at his daughter. Shocked, he began to stammer over his words, "h-how did y-, did you find him?"

"Zuko…he asked Sokka about that day, the day of the raid. He had this notion that the reason I didn't trust him was because of what the Fire Nation did to our family, and that he personified the Fire Nation for me. I guess in a way he was right. So anyway, he asked Sokka what he could remember and he told Zuko about the sea ravens on the flags of the lead ship, which he immediately identified as the Southern Raiders. Zuko told me he could help me find the man and I jumped at the chance to avenge Mom's death."

Hakoda looked at Katara, stone-faced. He prepared himself for the worst. Was his daughter really capable of murder?

"What did you do?" He asked expressionless.

"I went to Aang to ask him if I could take Appa, and he wanted to know what was going on. I told him, and he was afraid that because I was so hurt and angry that I would seek out revenge, and do something I would regret. He said the monks said something about revenge being a two-headed rat viper, that while you watch your enemy go down, you're being poisoned yourself."

"I've heard that before," Hakoda said. "There's a lot of truth and wisdom in those words."

"He told me I should forgive the man, which angered me, and when Sokka agreed with Aang, I really hurt him," she looked downward to the fire, becoming entranced by the flickering flames in front of her. "I told him that he didn't love Mom like I did. I really feel bad about that now, but at the time I was feeling like my emotions were out of control."

"Understandable. You've never really let yourself greive for your mother. You just stepped up and took on her responsibilities. Both of you were forced to grow up before you were ready," Hakoda said, his eyes glinting with tears.

"That's why I felt so strongly about doing this," Katara said. "That man took so much away from us." Katara took a deep breath, eyes still locked with the camp fire. "I went with Zuko later that night to take Appa and we were caught by Aang and Sokka."

"Was Aang angry with you?"

"No, he started to talk about forgiveness again, but when he realized he couldn't change my mind, he gave me some good advice. He said when I found the man, he hoped I didn't choose revenge, to let my anger out, and then let it go."

Hakoda smiled slightly, "wise beyond his years, isn't he?"

"That's not how I felt at the time, but yes. When we found the man, I couldn't get Aang's words out of my head."

"Where was he, that…._man_?" Hakoda's eyes narrowed.

"First we found the fleet. Zuko knew that it would have been the leader of the Southern Raiders that would have taken Mom. We went to the wheel house of the ship, but the man we found wasn't him. So after I used blood bending on him, he was scared enough to give up the information on the retired leader." Katara looked away, ashamed, wiping a lone tear from her cheek with the backs of her fingers. "He told Zuko the man's name was Yan Ra, that he had retired a few years before and where to find him. So we went to his village and followed him until we caught him alone."

"Did he attack you?"

"No, he sensed us, but we had the element of surprise. Zuko took him down, and I walked up to him and asked him if he knew who I was. At first he said no, but then he remembered me as _the little Water Tribe girl_. I told him that Mom lied to him, that she was protecting the last water bender. He asked who, and I told him it was me. And as I stopped the rain around us, and it started to build up in a dome above us, I could feel his fear. I formed the water into spikes and hurled them in his direction and he cowered, but for a second, my rage outweighed his fear. But just as I began to send the spikes in his direction, Aang's voice entered my mind, and I stopped them, mere inches away from his body." Katara sighed and squeezed her eyes shut as tears began to fall. "I dropped my hands and let the water fall around him. I told him how sad and pathetic and empty he was, and, as much as I hated him, I couldn't do it." Hakoda moved to her side, placing his arm around her shoulders. "I could see the emptiness in his eyes. He began to apologize, and told me that if I took his mother, it would be fair."

"He said _what_?" Hakoda scoffed.

"I know, he's completely heartless. He had to be to do what he did to our family. I guess his absence of spirit is punishment enough. Anyway, I had gotten my point across. So we left him there, trembling and sobbing in the rain."

Hakoda used his left hand to brush some stray hair behind Katara's ear. "That took a lot of strength, Katara, to control your emotions and hold back. A lesser person would have given in to their anger and hurt."

"You think so? I thought maybe it was because I was too weak to follow through," she said looking up at her father.

"Absolutely. You did the right thing. I'm proud of you."

Katara smiled, wiping the tears from her flushed cheeks. "Thanks, Dad. Aang said the same thing," she said with a half-smile.

Hakoda moved his arm from her shoulders and placed his hand on her left shoulder. "His opinion means a lot to you, doesn't it?"

Katara nodded, focusing on the fire. "He's influenced me so much, and I never realized how deeply until that moment."

"You're lucky you had your friends and your brother there to comfort you," Hakoda said, squeezing her shoulder.

Katara shook her head, "I didn't let them. In fact, I pushed the closest one away."

"Who?"

"Aang." She was quiet for a moment before posing a question to her father. "Dad, can I talk to you about something? I'm not even sure if you want to hear it but--"

"Katara, you're my daughter, my baby girl. You can talk to me about anything," he said moving his hands to his lap.

Katara smiled and pulled the blanket around her again. "It's about Aang…" she blushed a deep rouge. "I think my feelings for him run deeper than just friendship."

"You _think_ they do?"

Katara sighed. "I _know_. But I may have messed it up."

Hakoda looked confused. "Why do you think that?"

"Because. A couple of days after I confronted that man about Mom, Aang confronted me on my feelings for him, and I basically blew him off." Hakoda raised an eyebrow over a sideways glance.

"I freaked out. I mean I was pretty sure he had the same feelings for me, but I wasn't expecting to discuss it until _after_ the war was over. He caught me off guard and I wasn't exactly truthful with him.

"What happened?"

"Well we went to see this play, it was about us, about our journey. It was a _terrible_ depiction. They had a woman playing Aang and the other parts weren't cast much better. The whole thing was wrong, especially the interpretation of our relationship. They had us giving each other high-fives and saying that Aang was like my brother, and that I didn't think of him in a 'romantic' way.

Hakoda chuckled slightly. "They're just stage actors, there's no way they could've known what you all are really like."

"Well, Aang didn't see it that way. He got upset and left the theater. I found him outside at the intermission. I tried to tell him he was overreacting. After a minute, he asked me if I really felt the way the actor said, if I felt he was like a brother to me and I didn't have feelings for him. I tried to assure him that I didn't say that, an actor did. But he insisted it was true, that we had kissed at the invasion and he thought we were going to be together, and I told him I didn't know."

"What were you unsure about?"

Katara put her hands on either side of her head and squeezed her eyes shut. "I don't know! Nothing…_Everything_! I just told him with the war and everything that it wasn't the right time." She exhaled sharply and put her hands in her lap, relaxing her facial experession. "He asked me when the right time would be and I told him I was confused."

"What did he say?"

"Nothing…" she shrugged, "…he kissed me."

"Really?" Hakoda's surprise quickly faded due to Katara's downcast look. "I guess that didn't change anything?"

Katara shook her head, "no, I yelled at him and walked away."

Hakoda looked to the orange flames, as if for guidance. "Hm. If you don't mind me asking…why do you feel confused?"

"That's the thing, I'm _not_. I never was. If I were to be truthful, I would say that really, I was scared."

"Of?"

"We almost lost him in Ba Sing Se, I didn't think I could handle losing him again. If I let myself be open and he never came back I would've died inside. It would have been like losing Mom all over again…the same wound reopened, the same pain."

"Katara, after all you've experienced in this last year, you should know life is all about risk. You took a risk leaving your home with Aang to help him. You all took risks in protecting each other when adversity arose. You took risks against the _Fire Nation_ to restore peace to the world. You did these things without a second thought. If Aang wouldn't have come back, do you think it would have been better for him to have known how you feel, or to fall in battle never knowing?"

Sadness overcame Katara's features, "you're right, I'm a terrible person. How could I have been so selfish?!"

"No Katara. You're not. Not at all. Love…is scary. It's a very powerful emotion. To give into it, to give your heart to another, takes a great amount of courage. You know what I think?" Katara looked into her father's eyes. "I think you were under a lot of stress. You put a lot into preparing for this war, and maybe, as a defense mechanism, your mind wouldn't let you take on any more emotional stress than you were able to handle. You shut down. You've put up many walls since your mother died. It'll take some time to tear them down."

A crooked smile played on Katara's face. "Maybe you're right about that. But I think Aang's already helped me there too, although he didn't know it. He's the only person who's ever gotten through to me on that level. He experienced a great loss too, so we were able to relate and help each other start to heal. Helping him overcome his grief kind of helped me to bury mine, but before the war ended, it all came rushing back. I just became emotionally overloaded." Katara ran her hands over her hair, appearing as though the emotional strife was still taking its toll.

"You've been so strong over the years," her father said. "I don't see that faltering any time soon. You'll get the chance to make it right with Aang. Just thank the spirits he _did_ come back."

Katara nodded in agreement. "Do you…think he could be angry with me, or, that I…hurt him?"

"I think that Aang is a very reasonable young man. I've seen the way the two of you look at each other. I didn't detect anger at all. If he hasn't presented hurt or anger to you, then no, I don't think he is. He's probably just playing it safe and waiting until you feel ready," Hakoda encouraged her.

"Thanks, Dad. I'm sorry if I was a little rude with you earlier. It's just when you started talking about my personal life I was afraid you were trying to arrange something for me like they do in the North," Katara blushed feeling sheepish.

"Of course not. That was never my intention. I've always felt you were capable of making that decision on your own. Besides, lately," Hakoda smirked, "I've had a growing suspicion that you were going to tell me something was going on with you and Aang."

"Really? And…and that was okay? I mean, you approve? Aang's not from the Water Tribe and I thought--"

"Aang is a good person, not to mention, the Avatar. I could wish for nothing better for my daughter," Hakoda said beaming.

Katara hugged her father, then pulled away to look at him. "Thank you, Dad. For listening, for the advice, for everything. I feel much better now."

"Good, then you should sleep well. We need to leave at sunrise if we want to make it home before dark," Hakoda said walking over to his own bedroll and stretching.

"Okay. But first, I need to go see Appa." She went over to their supplies and pulled two melons from the food basket. "He'll sleep better on a full stomach."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, thanks Dad. I won't be long." She bid her father goodnight and walked across the stone courtyard to an area outside the temple where the bison used to sleep. It was open to the air, but had a roof to shelter it from the elements. She found Appa there asleep, but he stirred when he heard Katara's footsteps approaching. He groaned a greeting as she neared him.

"Hey Appa. I brought you a snack." She placed the melons in front of the bison and he nuzzled her as thanks. "You're welcome," she said giggling.

"I wonder how Aang is doing," she pondered petting Appa. He groaned in response. "You miss him too huh? It's going to be weird not seeing him everyday. We've hardly been apart since we found you guys." Appa gulped down the two melons and stretched.

"Alright Appa, you get some rest. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow." She petted Appa's nose and he lightly licked her hand. "Goodnight, boy."

Katara started to make her way back to the campsite, when she stopped just outside the area where Appa was sleeping and looked up. "Gosh, it is _so_ beautiful up here." A light breeze came up, kissing her cheeks and playing in her hair. For a moment, although there was a great distance between them, she thought she heard Aang's voice whisper. She smiled, feeling suddenly warm all over. "I miss you too, Aang," she whispered into the wind, closing her eyes. She made her way back to the campsite and settled into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Woo! There's the latest. Extra long for those of you who were patient enough to care and check back on this story. Chapter 4, Requests and Reunions, is in the works. R&R lemme know if you loved it, hated it, or fell asleep reading it.


	4. Ch 4Requests and Reunions

I want to thank all of you for your wonderful reviews! They truly do make it easy to want to continue this story. It's coming along, slowly but surely. A new character or two will join our journey in this chapter. Katara's family grows beyond the perspective of the show. Bear with me. On with chapter 4...

* * *

Ch. 4: Requests and Reunions

Zuko made his way through the halls of the palace toward Aang's room. It was a beautiful morning and, while overall Zuko felt content, his spirit was troubled. He had spent the night constantly waking, and when he slept, dreaming of his mother. How could he not after what his father had told him? In truth, she was alive, and Ozai claimed to the best of his knowledge, was currently residing in one of the many Fire Nation colonies in the Earth Kingdom. The news elated him, and made him sad at the same time. Happy because she was alive and, with time, could be found. Sad because it had been many years since her banishment and she could, in fact, be anywhere by now. He had to stay positive, though. Which was why he wanted to speak to Aang, the epitome of positive. He would need help from his new friends to find her, and somehow he knew they wouldn't refuse.

He reached Aang's room and sighed heavily when he found it empty.

"Of course," he said to himself. "I should've known I wouldn't find him here."

On a morning like this one, Aang was most likely outside absorbing the sunshine during his morning salutations. A little further down the hall, he checked Sokka's room which was also empty.

"Ugh!" he groaned to himself in frustration. "Why does everyone get up so early around here?!" He meandered along, checking different areas of the palace on his way to the courtyards and gardens.

"Excuse me," Zuko said to a passing servant.

The servant bowed deeply, "what may I do for you, Sir?"

Zuko returned the bow and asked, "have you seen Avatar Aang this morning? There's an important matter I must discuss with him."

The servant raised to face Zuko and nodded, "yes, Sir. He's in the training facility. He's been there since early this morning."

"Thank you," Zuko nodded to him, as the servant quickly bowed again, and they went their separate ways.

--o--o--o--o--o--

Aang and Sokka were in the open-air portion of the training area. Sokka was sitting on the ground sharpening the new boomerang he'd gotten from one of his tribesmen before their departure. He wanted to accompany Aang while he was training this morning. He didn't exactly trust the martial arts instructors in the Fire Nation…much less in the Fire _Palace._ A blast of hot air knocked him over, drawing a "sorry Sokka" from Aang.

"Are you gonna wrap this training session up any time soon?" He asked standing and brushing the dirt from his clothes.

"Not yet," Aang said. "I'm still struggling with a couple of techniques Zuko showed me. That foot sweep he does is really giving me trouble. Fire bending is still pretty new to me. I need practice."

"What for? The war is over," Sokka said nonchalantly.

Aang stopped what he was doing and gaped at Sokka. "Our work isn't done, Sokka. Not even close. Just because it seems peaceful around here--" he said holding his arms out, "--doesn't mean that some people don't disagree with what _we_ think is right."

He walked over to the servants, taking a towel and a glass of water. He ran the towel over his face, put it around his neck and took a seat in front of Sokka. He gulped some water as Sokka went back to sharpening his boomerang.

"There are still people out there who agree with Ozai's way of thinking," he said quietly. "You have to remember_, _the people of this nation have lived under a dictatorship since the days of Sozin. That's like, _three_ generations of ingrained hostility and stern laws. They were told how to act, what to wear, what to _think_. It will take some time for the people to become accustomed to being free. You saw those kids at the dance party. Even though there were no adults, they were still afraid to express themselves while they were free to do so."

"A little teenage rebellion was good for them." Sokka said smirking, not looking up from his boomerang.

"What we did was a little worse than rebellion," Aang said. "It was forbidden. A creative writing project in school written about anything but the Fire Nation, its traditions or the Fire Lord is considered rebellion." Aang frowned at his statement. "I hope they didn't get in too much trouble."

Sokka looked at Aang with a raised eyebrow. "So…you're saying we should keep training in case their parents decide to come get revenge on you?" he asked teasing Aang.

Aang rolled his eyes while drinking his water. "_No_. I'm saying that the people here only know one way of life and some may choose to defend it. We have to be ready for anything." He stood and began to walk back to the training floor. He stopped and turned to Sokka, "you know, Zuko mentioned they have a swords master here that you could train with."

"Yeah, I know, but my space sword is MIA. I don't think I'll be getting another one anytime soon."

"I went through the same thing when I had to let go of my original glider. It held a lot of sentimental value for me just like your space sword did for you. You shouldn't stop training because you lost your weapon of choice. Using different weapons will make you more versatile." Aang took a fighting stance against his sparring partner, who bowed deeply. Aang relaxed, confused, then heard Zuko's voice from behind him and turned.

"Aang, sorry to interrupt, but I'd like to have a word with you and Sokka."

Aang turned and bowed to the man he was training with and walked to where he'd left his things. "Of course."

"Could we talk in the Meeting Chamber? It's sort of a private matter," Zuko said motioning toward the door. Sokka stood, and Aang grabbed his shirt, pulling it over his head as they walked to follow Zuko.

--o--o--o--o--o--

Inside the old War Chamber turned Meeting Chamber, the guys sat around the head of the table. Servants rushed in as if choreographed, setting two pots of tea, cups, orange scones and crème-filled patries on the table, and just as quickly rushed out. Sokka licked his lips, rubbing his hands together and dug in, while Aang and Zuko took tea. Aang looked to Zuko, "so, what's on your mind?"

Zuko inhaled and exhaled sharply. "Do the two of you know what happened with my mother?"

Aang and Sokka looked at each other shaking their heads and looking back to Zuko.

"She was banished, years ago, when I was eleven years old…for the murder my grandfather."

The two other boys froze, wide-eyed and shocked.

"Murder?" Aang asked in surprise.

"Of Azulon?" Sokka asked, finishing Aang's thoughts.

Zuko nodded slowly, and sipped his tea. "It's not what you're thinking. She was a wonderful person, and a loving and caring mother. She did it to save my life."

Aang and Sokka sat in silence, taken aback by Zuko's deep and ever-darkening family history.

"See, my uncle was heir to the throne, as Azulon's eldest son. After he lost his only son to the war and then was defeated in Ba Sing Se, he was returning home, which my father saw as weakness, and related it as such to my grandfather. He told Azulon that Uncle had no other heirs, but Azula and I were alive and to name him successor instead of my uncle. Azulon lashed out at my father, asking if he meant for him to deny Uncle his birthright, and saying that Uncle had suffered enough. I thought my grandfather was threatening my father when he said that _he_ would know suffering as well, and how it had just begun. I ran. It scared me thinking about what he would do to my father."

Sokka spoke as Zuko lifted his cup to his lips, "man, Zuko. You're family is _really_ messed up."

Zuko scoffed. "You think that's messed up? It gets worse."

Sokka wrinkled his brow and looked at Aang, who looked at Zuko solemnly.

"Azula came into my room later that night singing, _'Dad's going to kill you'_, and she told me that this _suffering_ Grandfather spoke of was for our father to experience the loss of a son, as Uncle had."

"They were going to kill _you_?!" Aang interjected.

"Seems that way. What she told me was unbelievable. My mother overheard some of it from my doorway and grabbed Azula by her hand and took her, I'm assuming, to get to the bottom of it. I had to tell myself that she was lying…that she always lies…."

"Why did they want to _kill_ you Zuko?" Aang asked in disbelief.

"I guess they thought I was weak in the way they thought Uncle was weak, that I didn't share in their endeavors of world domination. Their plan was for my dad to become the Fire Lord and for Azula to be his successor, keeping the mindset of supremacy in place."

"What did your mother do?" Sokka asked.

"I never really knew. Late that night, my mom came to my room and woke me. She told me that everything she had done, she did to protect me. She told me that no matter how much things seemed to change, to never forget who I am. Then she left. I didn't realize she was really gone for good until the next morning. I was looking for her, and asked Azula where Mom was…she told me no one knew, and that our grandfather had passed away the night before."

Zuko looked away from the two sets of horrified eyes that gaped at him. "I always thought she was dead, that they had killed her. I didn't find out otherwise until I faced my father on the day of the eclipse."

"So…your mother assassinated Azulon so that his order to kill you wouldn't be carried out, and Ozai would still become Fire Lord?" Sokka asked, piecing things together.

Zuko shrugged his left shoulder. "Yeah, but I didn't know that until the day of the eclipse either. I just thought that Azulon had died of old age. It never occurred to me that it was by my mother's own hand."

Aang sat expressionless, looking at the table. "What did Ozai tell you that day?"

Zuko shifted on his seat. "He taunted me with it. I was walking out of his chamber, leaving before the eclipse ended because I didn't want to fight him. He called me a coward, for confessing my disloyalty during an eclipse, and told me to stick around until the eclipse was over. I refused. I told him that it was _your_ destiny to take him down, not mine," he said looking at Aang.

Zuko continued. "He asked if I didn't want to know what happened to my mother. He knew it would stop me…I spun on him and demanded to know what he did with her. He told me about Azulon's plan and how he was going to go through with it, but that my had mother intervened and came up with a plan to spare my life. He didn't come out and say she killed Grandfather, but he did say _'she did vicious, treasonous things that night'_, and she was banished for her treason."

"What did he have to gain from telling you that?" Sokka asked.

"He was baiting him," Aang answered for Zuko. "Waiting for the eclipse to end so he could attack him," he said crossing his arms over his chest.

Zuko nodded once in agreement. "I realized she was alive, and he said perhaps she was. Then he said that he saw banishment was far too light a punishment for treason. That's when he shot lightning at me."

"But he wasn't counting on your knowing how to redirect it," Aang smirked.

Zuko shook his head. They sat in silence for a few moments.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" Zuko asked looking between his two friends.

Aang knitted his brows together, looking distraught as he said, "I'm sorry Zuko. That's awful, I never knew--"

"It may be awful, but it's also wonderful. Don't you see what this means? My mother is _alive_. My father just confirmed it last night. She's living in the Earth Kingdom. This means she can be found! I can have her in my life again! With your help I'm sure we can--"

"But Zuko, you know that we--" Aang interrupted.

"I know what you're going to say, and you're right. We have a duty to fulfill first. But once everything is settled…will you help me?" Zuko asked looking hopeful.

Aang and Sokka looked at each other, eyebrows raised and half-smiling.

"I don't know--" Sokka began in a sing-song tone.

"You don't know?" Zuko asked disconcerted.

"-- if the three of us can do it alone," Aang finished smiling.

"Of course we'll help you, Zuko," Sokka said.

"We'd be honored. But we'll need quite a large search party," Aang stated.

"Thank you!…Thank you. You have no idea what this means to me," Zuko said reaching out to shake the hands of his friends.

"Zuko, how do you know for sure Ozai was telling you the truth?" Aang asked, seeming suspicious.

"Well, there's no reason for him to lie to me now. He knows the consequences of withholding information from or lying to the Fire Lord. I also don't believe he had any reason to lie on the day of the eclipse. I'm sure he thought that after he told me about her banishment that I wouldn't live to try to find her. He didn't know I could redirect his lightning strike. As powerful a bender as he is--or, _was--_that is one technique that he didn't know," Zuko smiled at Aang.

"Yeah. He looked pretty surprised when I used that technique against him," Aang said.

"So you did have to use it?" Zuko asked amazed.

"Yeah, I--"

"He didn't shoot it back at him though," Sokka said. "He shot it into the sky."

Aang looked at Sokka annoyed.

"How did it feel?" Zuko inquired.

"Really intense. I'd never felt such an amazing rush--"

"Except when you kissed Katara," Sokka teased.

Aang shot Sokka the evil eye and shook his head 'no'.

"What?! Seriously?" Zuko was astounded. "I knew it!"

"Wait, you knew what?" Aang asked.

"That you two were a couple," Zuko said bluntly.

"But we're not," Aang said with a squeak in his voice, clearly embarrassed.

"Really?" Zuko asked. "'Cause she pretty much threatened to kill me over you. I thought that was why she was so, um, _protective_."

Aang and Sokka looked at him confused.

"She did?" Aang asked beginning to blush and not trying to hide it. "When did that happen?"

"When you first allowed me to join your group. She told me if I gave her one reason to think that I would hurt you that she'd make sure my 'destiny ended right then and there…_permanently_'." Zuko smirked and took one of the pastries for himself. "Not only that, but before you guys got back from the Earth Kingdom the night of the comet, she and I were sitting at the gates waiting for you. She worried about you so much it made _me_ nervous. The only thing she talked about for an hour was you," he said looking at Aang.

Aang smiled and looked across the table at Sokka. "I guess you're right. She's not mad at me."

"Why would she be mad at you?" Zuko asked, having not been filled in on the night of the play.

"Long story," Aang said looking down.

"Well, the way she ran up and hugged you when you came back after defeating my father should've told you that she wasn't," Zuko stated matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, Aang. Since you don't want to be aloof and keep your cool points you should at least show some confidence. Meekness is a total turn-off," Sokka said pointing at Aang with crumbs decorating the corners of his mouth.

Zuko looked at Sokka like he'd grown a second head. "_Aloof_?" he asked, "and since when is humility a turn-off? I can't believe you have a girlfriend. You obviously know nothing about the way women think."

"Hey!"

Aang laughed holding his sides. They were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Yes?" Zuko called out.

A servant came in and bowed. "Excuse me, Fire Lord Zuko. But I was told to inform you that the convoy of ships carrying the political leaders is approaching the harbor."

Zuko smiled. "Thank you, Qin Li. We'll be down right away."

"Certainly, Sir," the servant said bowing, disappearing from the doorway.

Zuko looked at Aang and Sokka. "This is it. You ready?"

They both nodded and they all stood. As they walked toward the door, Zuko put his hand on Aang's shoulder to stop him. The look in his eyes said he could sense Aang's anxiety.

"Don't be nervous. Today is a just preliminary meeting, to see where the different provinces stand and what their leaders would like to see accomplished. Nothing concrete yet. This is merely an extension of hospitality on my part. So that they all can get to know the both of us, and begin to feel confident that this era of peace is moving in the right direction. These meetings should go over smoothly."

Aang nodded, feeling intimidated. "They should. Let's just hope everyone feels like being reasonable."

Zuko nodded, "let's go."

--o--o--o--o--o--

Katara climbed down from Appa's saddle to the familiar grounds of her homeland. She knelt and removed her gloves, gliding her bare hands across the glistening fresh snow. The land was familiar, but now it felt _so_ different. When she was last here she could barely bend water enough to form ice. Now, it felt as if the entirety of the ground her home rested on was so fragile; that with one sweep of her arms she could have the whole of it under her control, bent to her will. She smiled, feeling more alive than she had ever felt before. Having mastered her element, it seemed that her life had come full circle…she left an ambitious young girl and returned a Master, a healer, a strong young woman.

Her father's hand on her shoulder brought her back to the present. She stood and looked up at him, and upon seeing tears brimming his eyes, lifted her gaze to behold the grand view before her. The small village of meek igloos she had left behind was transforming into a magnificent city. The crew from the Northern Tribe had made much progress in their rebuilding efforts. The city emerging from the ice wasn't a duplicate of their sister tribe; it had its own identity. The city's center rose into the sky with its tall tower brandishing the crest of the crescent moon and waves. The rest of the city was beginning to spread out around it, taking shape. Katara's breath caught as she processed the images at hand. The sunlight of the early evening making the buildings sparkle.

"I can't believe it. It looked amazing from the sky but the view from the ground is so much more enthralling," she said smiling proudly.

"It truly is amazing," Hakoda agreed.

They approached the main gates of the city and the guards sounded a call to inform the citizens of a new arrival. They were met with cheers and gratitude from the family they had left behind so many months ago. The reunions for Katara were short-lived however, as her aunt Siku rushed to her side, taking her hand.

"Praise the Spirits for your swift arrival. Come, I must take you to your grandmother."

Siku gave a swift hug and kiss to her brother Hakoda and turned to lead Katara away. Katara glanced toward her father as she was being pulled away from the curious crowd. He nodded as if to say 'good luck' and turned his attention back to the other citizens of the Southern Tribe.

"How is she?" Katara managed to eek out as she struggled to keep up with her aunt's pace.

"It seems she fades a little more each day. I believe it was the knowledge of your homecoming that has kept her hanging on."

They stopped outside the door of an apartment within the city's center and Katara looked upon it, touching her fingers to it. She could feel her grandmother's energy radiating from within this place.

"Is this Gran-Gran's house?"

Katara's aunt nodded. "It is. She was very happy when it was completed. She said that when you children came back it would really feel like home."

Katara frowned. "I should've been here. She wouldn't be so sick, then."

"No, Katara. You were exactly where you needed to be." Siku placed her fingertips under Katara's jaw and lifted her head to make eye contact. "And now, it's not too late. Word of your tremendous abilities have reached us all the way here. Your grandmother will live."

Katara nodded once for acknowledgement and Siku opened the door. They entered into the apartment, and instantly Katara's nose was greeted with the sweet smells of home, among the intruding smells of salves and sweat. She followed her aunt into her grandmother's room, quickly placing her hand over her mouth when her eyes found Gran-Gran's sleeping form. She was thin, very thin. Her skin was paled instead of the deep, rich brown it usually boasted. Her hair was messed, not the typical smooth bun her grandmother kept. Katara's eyes lifted to the wall above Gran-Gran's bed. A blessing wheel of woven twine, silk ribbon and leather hung on the wall, adorned with sea eagle feathers, beads and different types of healing stones bound to it by the thin leather strips. She'd read of Earth Kingdom physicians' use of stones to harness energy for healing. Although, the presentation of the stones before her was clearly Water Tribe. Katara touched the stones, recognizing them from scrolls she'd gathered in her travels:

Two Herkimer diamonds bound in the center, for balancing of energies. An Aquamarine, soother of throat, stomach and nerves. A single Bloodstone, for blood and energy circulation. Snowflake obsidian, for detoxification of body, mind and spirit. Hematite, for increase of oxygen in the blood. The four stones were bound on the North, East, South and Western points of the wheel around the center. The wheel had three extensions of leather dangling from the bottom, two extensions containing beading and two feathers. Bound to the longest extension in the center, an eagle feather and a large Rainbow obsidian for relief of pain and tension.

"These stones are rare in this part of the world." Katara began. "Wherever did you get this? It's exceptionally made."

"We notified Pakku when she became ill. He responded with a letter, stating he was not able to travel home at the moment as he and his Association were awaiting the comet's arrival in Ba Sing Se, and that they had to fulfill their duty to the city. He wanted us to contact you immediately. He also said an Earth King in his Order introduced him to a well-practiced physician who employs special methods in the healing arts. These stones were packaged with his letter. I wasn't sure what to do with them…there were no instructions…only a description of the aid each stone offered. So I made this blessing wheel, hoping that putting them here above her would help her in the way Pakku hoped they would."

"I see." Katara said. She paused for a moment, looking back to the wheel. "You did the best thing you could for her. I think this arrangement you made may have been what enabled her to stay strong by keeping her energies balanced." Katara smiled slightly and placed her palm upon her grandmother's forehead. "Do you know anything more of Gran-Gran's illness? Anything specific?"

Siku shook her head. "No. That's why we needed you. She was constantly calling out for you and I was hoping you could pinpoint her ailment since your healing abili--"

"Katara?" Gran-Gran's scratchy voice called out. "Is that you?"

Katara fell to her knees and took her grandmother's hand.

"Yes, Gran-Gran. I'm here, I came as soon as I could."

"How did you get here so quickly? Siku said that--" her words were cut off by a spell of hacking coughs.

"Shhh." Katara soothed, placing her free hand on her grandmother's forehead. "Just rest. I need to have a healing session with you. Just relax okay?"

"She said she'd tried to contact you only a couple of days ago. I didn't expect to see you for at least another week."

"Aang allowed me to travel with his bison. Travel through the air is much faster." Katara said with a smile. "Now," she began as she turned to Siku, "is there a large jug I could use for water? And…some light…maybe a few candles?"

Her aunt nodded, "yes, right here." She pulled the jug from the kitchen and left the room to get some candles.

Katara bended a large amount of water in through the window of the room and filled the jug.

"Did Aang make the journey with you?" Gran-Gran asked.

"No, he wasn't able to. Dad came home with me. Aang was needed in the Fire Nation to help Zuko. There are world leaders on their way there now so they can hold the first of the peace meetings."

"Zuko?" her grandmother spat. "Isn't that the young man who took Aang away from here? The reason you le--" Gran-Gran began to cough and wheeze, her words interrupted.

"Shh," Katara tried again to coax her grandmother to cease conversation for now. "It would be best if you tried to relax. We'll have plenty of time to catch up once you're feeling better."

Kanna decided not to argue and tried to catch her breath.

Siku rushed in with some candles. She took the spark rocks and lit the oil lamp and each candle, positioning them so the light was dispersed evenly throughout the room.

"Thank you," Katara said as she moved the covers down from Gran-Gran's body, leaving her feet covered. "Gran-Gran, I need you to tell me exactly what you've been feeling over the past few weeks."

"I've had the feeling that something is putting pressure on my chest. It's hard to catch my breath." Kanna drew in a deep breath and began to cough again. "I've experienced dizzy spells and stomach pain, so--" another coughing spell overtook her.

Katara looked to her aunt, "has she had fever?"

Siku shrugged, "off and on, mostly at night."

Katara nodded and began to bend a mist from the water she'd collected. "Do you think you could possibly find some mint leaves for me Aunt Siku? I'll need quite a few. I could use them for the aromatics. If we crush them, heat them so they'll release their oils, and combine the aroma with the mist, it could be very beneficial for her."

"We have some here. I'll get started on crushing them for you."

"Thank you."

Katara bended some water over her hands and placed them over her grandmother's chest, moving them toward her lower abdomen and back again. Feeling satisfied she'd found the problem to be respiratory, she moved the water to Gran-Gran's temples, resting it there. Siku came back into the room with the mortar and pestle and mint leaves, and began to set up the materials needed to heat them. She placed several of the leaves into the mortar and began to pulverize them. As Katara continued her assessment of her grandmother, Kanna began to speak again.

"I've been dreaming of you," she said with a slight smile. "There's something I want to talk to you about."

Katara smiled and nodded, not wanting to ensue conversation for fear of upsetting Gran-Gran's respiratory condition.

"Okay Katara, the mint leaves are ready," Siku stated from behind her.

Katara bended some water into the mortar and Siku used the spark rocks to start a small flame to heat it. Katara placed it over the fire. After a moment the water began to steam, releasing a strong menthol vapor.

"Alright Gran-Gran. This should soothe your throat and your cough. Breathe very deeply for me. I'll need to expose your chest to begin the healing session."

Kanna nodded as Katara began to remove her grandmother's gown. She bended water around her hands again and moved them over Gran-Gran's wrapped chest while she took deep breaths.

"How do you feel?" Katara asked.

"Like I can breathe," Kanna responded with a smile.

Katara continued her sweeping motions over her grandmother's chest until she again was sleeping. She pulled the covers back over her and turned to her aunt.

"I'm going to stay here every night until she's better. If you've been staying with her you can go home, sleep in your own bed…get a goodnight's sleep," she said with a half-smile.

"You're sure you'll be okay? I can stay if you need me to."

Katara shook her head, "I'll be fine. Thank you for all of your help."

"Okay sweetie," Siku responded. "I'll be over to check on you in the morning." She gave Katara a hug and left the room.

Katara turned to Gran-Gran and knelt beside her bed.

"I've missed you so much. I'm sorry I wasn't here." She took her hand and stroked the back of it with her thumb. "I'll be here for as long as you need me. I promise." She leaned forward and kissed her grandmother on the forehead before going to retrieve her things from Appa's saddle.

Once back at the apartment, Katara unpacked her things into the closet of the room across the apartment from her grandmother's. She smiled tenderly and touched her mother's necklace. It was good to be home. She only wished it were under better circumstances.

--o--o--o--o--o--

Aang and Zuko stood in the meeting room casually conversing with some of the men who had arrived earlier that morning. They had a luncheon with the political leaders and, afterward, all of them convened in the meeting chamber. Though it was long, the first meeting had gone better than Aang had anticipated. It seemed everyone was pleased with the ideas that were proposed by all in attendance.

It was agreed that the most immediate aid needed to be focused in the Earth Kingdom. After one-hundred years of war, the Earth Kingdom was undoubtedly the hardest hit. There was the issue of the Fire Nation Army still occupying several towns, and their unfair taxation of the Earth Kingdom citizens. It was suggested there should be an immediate withdrawal and debriefing of Fire Nation military forces. This was acknowledged by Zuko and he ensured that the withdrawal order was already in the works and that it should be taking place within the next couple of weeks. Any soldiers who resisted would be arrested by Earth Kingdom soldiers and extradited back to the Fire Nation.

The Council of Five were on hand to reinerate Zuko's plan of action. General How added that most members of the Dai Li had been detained here in the Fire Nation and placed in reinforced wooden cells so that none of them would be tempted to learn to metal bend. This comment drew a snicker from some of the men present. The Five stated that the Dai Li agents were being taken back to the Earth Kingdom upon the journey home, to be sentenced by the Order of the White Lotus, the interim power of Ba Sing Se. They cautioned, however, that Long Feng was still at large, but that they had formed a special team of soldiers to find him, and bring him to justice. In the end, it was agreed that Aang and Sokka would travel to Ba Sing Se with the Council of Five, regroup there with the Earth Kingdom army, and disperse to different provinces according to the amount of damage sustained. This would be discussed upon their arrival and their dispersement would be determined at that time according to the requests received. They agreed to hold additional meetings throughout the week to get organized. They adjourned upon that resolve, and were now slowly filtering out to their lodgings for the night.

Aang stretched and yawned. He looked at Zuko, who bid General How good evening, and began to rub his eyes.

"I thought they'd never leave!" Aang said as he went back to the cushions on the floor and collapsed upon them face first.

"You should probably go back to your room and get some sleep. We're meeting again early in the morning," Zuko reminded him.

Aang groaned into the pillows. He rolled over, stood and walked toward Zuko. "I'm just ready to go. We need to make sure you have the help you need here and then we should just go. Why do we need to talk about everything? It's like beating a dead ostrich horse. Stuff is messed up everywhere, I'm just ready to get going and respond to people as their requests come in."

"You're looking at this through your monk goggles Aang. It's not going to be that easy. You obviously know nothing about a military movement. It takes time and planning," Zuko said smirking.

Aang scowled at Zuko, "I don't really care about the military movement. My duty exists whether the military is involved or not."

"I'm with you, I'm ready to get things moving. Unfortunately, we're dealing with a bunch of men who aren't totally sure the decisions concerning the world's future should be in the hands of teenagers."

Sokka raised his head from his resting place, sprawled out over the pillows trying to doze off. "I don't think the politicians could do much better than we can. I agree with Aang. We need to take action now and get those Fire Nation soldiers out of the Earth Kingdom. Waiting around for a week while we _talk_ about what needs to be done isn't helping those people over there."

"You two need to grow some patience. These old politicians are set in their ways. Let's play the politics game their way, and then once you're in Ba Sing Se with the Council and my uncle you can do things your way, alright? Now, I'm going to the kitchen to get something to eat. You guys comin?" Zuko asked walking from the room.

Aang and Sokka followed, both looking as if they'd been in battle all day instead of sitting in a meeting room. They all ate quietly in the kitchen, and retired to their rooms, sleep claiming each of them as soon as they met their pillows. The politics aspect of this war was proving to be more tedious than they anticipated.

--o--o--o--o--o--

"How are you feeling?" Katara asked her grandmother as she entered her room and found her awake. "If you're hungry I can get you some dinner. How about some soup?" She placed some clean blankets at the foot of Gran-Gran's bed and beamed at her warmly.

"That sounds wonderful, Dear, thank you," Kanna replied as she moved to sit up.

Katara had been home for four days now, and was beginning to see a vast improvement in her grandmother's health. She had kept her promise, sleeping on her bedroll beside Gran-Gran's bed instead of in the other bedroom, waking every hour or two to check on her as if by clockwork. Over the past two nights, she had noticed a great decrease in Kanna's wheezing, and that she was getting deeper, more restful sleep. It was doing some good too. Her color was coming back, as was her appetite. Both were very good signs of improving health.

"Here, let me help you," Katara said as she went to her grandmother's bed side to help her up.

"I'm okay, Katara," she said pushing her weight up with her arms. "I thought I might eat with you at the table tonight." She swung her legs over the side of the bed and looked at Katara smiling.

"Oh! Okay. That's wonderful, but, are you sure you're feeling up to it?" Katara asked as she grabbed a robe for her grandmother and placed it around her shoulders.

"Absolutely." She reached out for Katara's hand. She took it and helped Gran-Gran stand up. She then placed her left arm around Kanna's waist, holding onto her right arm with her right hand at the bend of her elbow. They walked slowly into the kitchen area and Katara helped Gran-Gran to sit in one of the chairs at the table.

"I made this soup earlier this afternoon. I was hoping you would feel well enough to eat dinner." Katara grabbed two bowls and walked to the stone fire place, ladling soup from the pot that hung there into one bowl, and placing it before her grandmother with a piece of bread. She got some soup for herself and took her seat next to Gran-Gran. Kanna sipped her soup from her bowl, then placed it down in front of her, smiling at Katara.

"This is delicious, honey. Thank you." She sipped her soup again. "I've been meaning to tell you your cooking has much improved."

"Thank you. I guess it comes from cooking for everyone while we were gone. I got to experiment with different things…herbs, spices, vegetables, meats." Katara trailed off for a moment looking at her bowl. "We had such an amazing journey, Gran-Gran. Some of the places we've been looked like something out of dreams. The world is so beautiful."

"I agree. I got to see some of it when I traveled from the Northern Tribe. I'm assuming you've heard the story since you've met Pakku."

"Yes, I heard. But why didn't you ever mention that you grew up there?"

"Sometimes life is a little messy, Katara, and you just want to leave the mess behind and start fresh somewhere else. I was never one to be made to do something I didn't want to do." Kanna picked at her bread and looked at Katara. "I never regretted leaving. I felt my life there was oppressive and controlled. I wanted to be free to make my own choices. I found a wonderful life here, with someone whom I grew to love more than I could have imagined possible. Your grandfather was such a wonderful man."

Katara smiled at her statement. "I know how you must have felt. We met the princess of the North while we were there. She was in an arranged betrothal and she was extremely unhappy about it. I can't imagine having to marry someone you don't love."

"You should never settle for less than what you've always dreamed for yourself, Katara. Love is beautiful when you're with the right person. Everyone owes it to themselves to seek out that person that perfectly complements them. It's funny, but you just know it when you find them. Everything about your relationship will seem to be in balance. Your strong points will build up his weaknesses, and his strong points will reinforce your weaknesses."

Katara immediately thought of her relationship with Aang. It seemed they were always there for each other to lift one another up. They were able to calm and encourage each other when no one else could. He was her voice of reason when pain and rage clouded her judgement. She had done the same for him. Is this the balance Gran-Gran spoke of? Was it too early to tell? They were still very young after all.

"Katara, dear, what are you thinking about?" Kanna asked with a suspicious smile.

"No-Nothing," Katara stammered grabbing a tress of hair and playing with it. "Well…actually I was just thinking about what you said…about a relationship being balanced. I hope I find that for myself someday," she said with a sheepish smile.

"There's something you're not telling me." Gran-Gran said knowingly. "Have you already found someone?"

Katara's cheeks tinted pink. "Well, I…I don't know. Maybe. I'm just not sure if he still…" Katara grumbled, running her hand over her face.

"You seem stressed dear, what's wrong?" Kanna asked placing her hand over Katara's.

"See there's...this _guy_, and, um, he told me that he has feelings for me. It was something that I'd told myself that I wasn't ready for…so I ran away from it. I regret it now, of course, because I think I _am_ ready. He's the one who's actually helped me feel emotionally at peace again. But, I guess I was afraid of what I felt. I shouldn't have such strong feelings for someone at this age. We're both so young and--"

"Love is energy, Katara. It knows no age . It finds you when you're ready for it. If it has found you at such a young age, you're lucky. It will give you and _this guy_ a chance to grow together. Be grateful for that." Kanna smiled warmly at her, patting her hand, and then relaxing in her chair. "When love is real, it finds a way, sweetheart. No matter what took place between the two of you to make you feel unsure. If it was meant to be, it will be. Just have faith…_trust in love_."

Katara's eyes widened a little. She remembered the way she felt the last time she heard those words…when it all began for her. The first time her heart flip-flopped because of his closeness, in the darkness of the cave. This wonderful jumble of emotions she'd toiled with over the last few months. This crush that had evolved into something so much more so quickly it had scared her. She blushed all the way up to her ears, and couldn't help it. "I will. I owe him that. I know he would trust in it."

"You know how I told you that I've been dreaming of you?" Kanna began, folding her hands in front of her.

Katara nodded, "yes." Katara narrowed one of her eyes. "What kind of dreams exactly?"

"They started a while back. Before Pakku left for Ba Sing Se. I've been having the same recurring dream. Sometimes two to three nights in a row, sometimes only once a week. The setting is always the same. I've never seen anything like it. A beautiful place, a castle, in the sky it seems. It's on a mountain top surrounded by clouds."

Katara smiled. "That sounds like an Air temple. They were built so someone would have to have a sky bison to reach them. When you're up there, you _are_ surrounded by clouds. We've visited all of them but the Eastern one with Aang. The Southern temple isn't too far from here. What did the one in your dream look like?"

Kanna thought for a moment. "The buildings were white, rounded, and had blue spires that reached into the sky."

"That sounds like the Southern Air Temple. But how could you know what it looks like? Have you ever seen it before?" Katara asked.

Kanna shook her head, "No, no I've never been there. I've only seen it in my dream, but it was as vivid as you are sitting here before me." Gran-Gran sipped some tea before she continued. "The feeling is one of peace, and content. I see you there, sitting under a tree, reading to a group of children of various age, who seem to be mostly air benders. It seems you are a caregiver, and a teacher. And Aang is there, teaching some other children air bending. It feels like he is not only an instructor, but a protector."

"But that's impossible Gran-Gran. You were right about the air benders. They're all gone…Aang is the last one," Katara said frowning.

"I see…well there must be an alternative explanation then," her grandmother stated. Katara looked at her with an expression of confusion on her face.

"Have you ever considered…since you know that Aang is the last air bender…that he is also the first?" Kanna suggested.

Katara gasped putting her hand over her mouth. Why hadn't she ever thought of that?! But that means…

"Gran-Gran, what are you saying? It sounds like in your dream that--"

"You were chosen by the Spirits, Katara. I knew when you left home that you found Aang for a reason, and that your destinies were intertwined. I just never realized to what extent until now."

"Chosen? How do you know this? You've only had a dream Gran-Gran. That doesn't mean that I…we…this is too much." Katara covered her face with her hands.

"I'm sorry, honey I didn't mean to overwhelm you. We were talking about relationships and I was only trying to tell you of my dream and let you know that I may have known who you were speaking of. But don't you see? You've been Aang's guardian, his teacher, friend and constant companion since you've met. Destiny brought the two of you together. Is it any mystery now why you have such strong feelings for him? It _is_ supposed to be, Katara. The Spirits have deemed it so, and have showed me in a vision. You said you were ready. There's no need to be afraid."

"So…you're saying we were set up by the _Spirits_? That we never had a choice in the matter? That the reason I feel what I feel is because I'm supposed to and not because I want to?" Katara asked feeling flustered.

"I don't think that's it at all Katara. People have free will to make their own decisions. But sometimes destiny, or fate, gives us a little nudge. Hence, your strong feelings for him that you don't understand. It's not to be understood. Just let it be. You've always had a problem doing that you know."

"Doing what?"

"_Letting things be_. You were more carefree before the loss of your mother, but afterward, you acted as though you had to control every aspect of your life. You would never just let things be. Maybe in some way, it was your way of keeping yourself from being hurt."

Katara frowned. "Oh…but I don't understand. If what you say is true, then why wasn't it revealed to me instead of you?"

"Maybe you would've dismissed it. You may have over-criticized it, and yourself for having such a dream. My feelings on the matter are neutral and unbiased. But I urge you to let it be. Let it take its own natural course. Things will progress as they should…if you _let _them. Don't deny yourself the feelings that you _know_ are real. "

Katara gulped, eyes wide. "I said I was ready to begin a relationship with Aang, but this…this is more than I--"… She was interrupted by a knock on the door. Katara immediately stood and went to the door, thankful for a way out of the conversation.

"Aunt Siku. How are you?" Katara asked giving her aunt a hug. She grabbed her parka and pulled it on. "I'm going out for some air Gran-Gran. I'll be back soon okay?" she stated, giving her grandmother a kiss on the cheek and rushing out the door.

"Is everything alright?" Siku asked.

"Just fine, dear. She'll be just fine."

--o--o--o--o--o--

Katara rushed out onto the sidewalks of the newly built city, but she had no interest in taking in the city's beauty right now. She walked around aimlessly in the night, her head swirling with realizations, doubt, fear, disdain. She, like her grandmother, was not one who liked to be told she had to do something. In the beginning, this had been what she chose. She was beginning to let her feelings for Aang unfurl, accepting them for what they were, even though they were stronger than what she truly felt comfortable with right now. She could've gotten over that with time, _let it be_, but now…

She took a deep breath and looked up from the sidewalk. She saw the place where they were keeping Appa, and decided some air is exactly what she needed, indeed. She pushed open the door of the large building and walked inside. Appa raised his head and groaned a greeting.

"Hey Appa. You feel like going out for a bit?"

Appa groaned in response and stood, stretching his legs. Katara climbed up to Appa's head, and they walked out into the night. The crescent moon greeted them and Katara smiled. She always felt better when the moon was present. They took off into the cold night air and Katara pulled up her hood. They flew for a few minutes until Katara asked Appa to land on a high, snow-covered hill in the distance. The bison complied and Katara climbed down from his head, taking a seat in the snow.

"I need to clear my mind. I'm afraid, Appa. But why?" He nudged her and she turned and petted Appa's nose. "Why am I so hesitant? I know Aang loves me, and I know I feel the same for him." She smiled at the bison. "How would you like for me to be around for a while, Appa?"

Appa groaned and licked the side of her face. Katara giggled.

"I guess it would be nice…to stay with you guys forever. This is just so much to take in. But even though thinking of forever scares me, I can't picture myself being anywhere else but with Aang. I don't see myself staying here and living the same life my grandmother and parents lived. Aang has opened the world up for me, Appa. I want to spend my life traveling with you and Aang. And Momo of course." She smiled as Appa groaned again.

"You're right Appa, I need to learn to let go…to let things be. I'll try. I'm not sure how, though. How does Aang do it?" She turned and crossed her legs, placing her hands palm-up on her knees, letting her fingers curl naturally. "I need to know the truth." She began to breathe deeply, slowly. Soon the only sound she focused on was the wind. The cold breeze coming from the ocean started to carry her thoughts away. As they began to dissipate, a vision became clear.

She saw Aang, he looked different…very handsome, but different. He had the same captivating grey eyes and smile, but he was older, now taller than she was. He was dressed in white robes with accents of orange and yellow. He was smiling, holding her hands. She looked at her hands, and noticed she was wearing a white gown with accents of blue. There were trees around them with small white-pink blossoms, the dainty petals detaching and being carried on the breeze, like a gentle floral snowfall. Her center overflowed with emotion: happiness, love…_calm_… The other people there were a blur, her focus centered on Aang. She faintly heard some words being spoken, then she felt herself being wrapped in Aang's arms as his lips met hers. The kiss was amazing…nothing like the small kisses that currently existed between them. It was soft, slow, and full of all the love they felt for each other. She felt as if she were floating, light as the petals that were drifting around them.

Just as quickly as the vision had materialized, it was gone. Katara's eyes flew open, and although it was bitterly cold outside, she felt a warmth radiating from within. She smiled wiping away the tears that had started to trace over her flushed cheeks.

"Okay…I'm ready…"

* * *

That came out a lot longer than I had planned! I had considered putting Katara's and Gran-Gran's discussion into another chapter, but oh well here it is. I hope I didn't make any of you gag with Gran-Gran's or Katara's visions. I'm trying my best to build up the relationship of Aang and Katara so that she comes to terms with what she's feeling…trying to bridge the 'I'm confused' stage with the 'not so confused' stage, which canon lacked, and left _me_ confused. Hehe… Also, I made the political meeting a summary instead of drawing out a long dialogue. Politics is not my favorite subject and this is, after all, supposed to be somewhat of a love story. I don't intend on boring anyone with political stuff. The political side is necessary to continue the story in a believable way that I feel would be as close to canon as I can manage. Soooo R&R and let me know if I'm still doing alright. If you loved it or gagged. To be continued in Chapter 5: Far Too Long.


	5. Ch 5Far Too Long

_**A/N:** That Chapter 4 was ridiculous! I'm not sure what got into me! I just started writing and didn't feel like I had reached a good ending point until I reached the ending point (if that makes sense). This chapter will bounce around between characters and tie up some things before the reunion in Ba Sing Se. _

_**Lemon ALERT: Contains** pretty **detailed **Maiko **lemonade**. You've been warned.…I'm not responsible for the scarring of young minds. My first attempt at lemon flavored goodness, sweet and sour. I chose Maiko cuz…for some reason it seems to me they've already been there. Before we gasp collectively at their youth, remember this is the AU, where it seems young people are married at the tender age of sixteen. Only seems fair for them to dabble in all the perks of being of marrying age, which Zuko and Mai are. That being said, I wanted to try my hand at writing a lemon before Kataang takes the plunge. Haha…no pun intended… Here goes Ch. 5_--

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Ch 5. Far Too Long

A few days had passed since Katara's revelation on the snowy and starlit hilltop. She'd spent every night since then dreaming of her beautiful vision and spent every day feeling her spirit becoming more and more free. The walls around her cautious heart were finally crumbling, allowing her ethereal mood to radiate to everyone she came in contact with. She hadn't felt this way in years. It had been far too long…since she was a child, since her mother disappeared from her life. But just as she was feeling that her mother's absence would forever leave an insatiable void in her soul, here enters Aang, filling said void and causing it to run over with more love than she had ever imagined possible.

For her, the cementing of her attachment had been aroused by a near-tragedy in Ba Sing Se. The thought of never again seeing his storm-grey eyes gleaming at her as he smiled. Never being able to extinguish the guilt she felt for instilling all of her hopes and dreams into him…a burden he most likely never realized he'd carried. Never sharing with him the freedom of spirit he'd exposed her to. The thought of losing the one kindred spirit she'd had the privilege of aligning with since her childhood. But he was so much more than that. Not just the vessel that bore all hope for the world, not just a free spirit. He was her best friend, and she hoped, upon her return to his company, something a little greater.

These thoughts, among others, occupied her mind as she went about her chores that morning with a cheerful hum that she was consciously oblivious to, but that her grandmother had not missed. Gran-Gran had let her be, though. She knew of whom Katara was thinking, and felt guilty that the illness that still plagued her body was the reason Katara could not go to the one who had brought about this airily light mood.

"When do you think you'll be heading back, Katara?" Gran-Gran asked from her chair at the dining table.

She stopped mid-hum and turned to her grandmother. "I'm not leaving until I'm absolutely positive you're better. With that cough still hanging around I don't feel comfortable leaving you alone. What if the infection returned?"

Gran-Gran waved her hand as if to shoo a fly. "Nonsense. I'm fine. There are so many more important things you could be tending to. I'm sure they could use your abilities in the Earth Kingdom. With the war over I'm sure there will be a lot of injured soldiers to attend to." She coughed a little, trying to stifle it so it didn't sound quite so bad.

Katara shook her head with a knowing smirk on her face. "Like I said," she went to the cupboard to retrieve the honey and bourbon elixir she'd made for Gran-Gran, "I'm not leaving just yet." She handed the small flask to her grandmother to ingest a dose of the medicine and then turned to put it back in the cupboard. "Besides, the boys, I'm sure, have been spending countless hours in meetings over the last few days. I think they can handle that aspect of things. Once they get to wherever it is they're going, I'll join them. But _only_ if you're health permits," she said smiling.

"You're such a wonderful young lady," Kanna said placing her palm on Katara's cheek. "However was I blessed with such a family?"

"You've raised us well…cared for us all of our lives. We owe it to you to return the favor from time to time." Katara went back to the kitchen and began to ready the items she needed to prepare dinner. "I have been wondering when I'll hear from Aang, though. He told me when I left that he'd send word when they left the Fire Nation. I've been here for more than two weeks. I thought for sure they'd be done with the meetings by now."

She wasn't aware, but he was sitting down to work on that letter even as she spoke of him.

--o--o--o--o--o--

Aang was sitting at the mahogany desk in his room dragging his brush through the ink well, back and forth…back and forth. He wanted to tell Katara of their upcoming departure for Ba Sing Se, although, he wanted to say more than that. But what? He wanted to keep the letter simple, not to over do it. But he didn't want to sound strictly business-like either. He rubbed his hand over his face. This was such a simple task, writing a letter, so…why was he feeling so stressed?

He picked up the brush, deciding to write whatever came to mind. He could always start over. He put the brush back down and drew a couple more scrolls from the drawer, just in case. Then, he began to write.

"_Two nights past the full moon of October_

_Dear Katara:_

_I hope you had a safe journey home. What is it like there now? I can't wait to see it. How is Gran-Gran? I'm sure she's at one-hundred percent already with you looking after her. You're especially good at taking care of people. You have a special gift, you know that?_

_How is Appa? Tell him I miss him and give him a hug for me okay? _

_I just wanted to let you know that we're leaving for Ba Sing Se tomorrow. It's been quite a rough couple of weeks. Meeting, after meeting, after meeting. I wish I could tell you that you've missed so much but it wouldn't be the truth. To be honest, I had a hard time staying awake during the meetings. I've found that politics is definitely not my favorite subject._

_We instated a new Royal Council this morning. Zuko will have all the help he needs to keep things in order here and stay safe while doing so. _

_We should arrive in Ba Sing Se in a couple weeks or so, depending on the weather and other hold ups. We'll be staying at our apartment there as far as I know. If you write a letter in return, send it there. We'll get it one way or the other, I promise. _

_Sokka is…Sokka. He's eating everything and Zuko's kitchen staff are complaining about it. He's finally done some training with the swords master here. It's doing him some good. He's been worried about you and Gran-Gran. _

_He and Toph have been getting into trouble with the palace guards. Who knows what shenanigans they've been up to. All they've told me is they're prohibited from entering the Palace's armory. I've been so busy lately…it would be nice to be able to goof off with them. I miss you like crazy. Everything here has been so stressful and boring. Being able to hang out with you would be like a breath of fresh air. It feels like you've been gone for such a long time…far too long. We need your direction. I guess our little group has kind of gotten dependent on it. _

_I hope this letter finds you and Gran-Gran well. Tell your dad I said hello. I look forward to your arrival in Ba Sing Se. Have a safe journey…see you soon."_

He stopped there, suddenly wondering how he should sign the letter. He didn't want to sign it with 'love' because it may sound too overwhelming. He didn't want to sign it with 'your friend' because he thought that may sound too casual. So he decided to sign it simply, with his name.

"_-Aang"_

He smiled at the letter, surprised that it turned out better than he'd expected. He bended a light current of air over the ink to dry it. He rolled the parchment up, deciding to hold on to it for now and drop it off by the messaging center before their departure. Aang was anxious to get back to the Earth Kingdom, to help rebuild the damage he'd allowed to take place in his one-hundred-year absence. He'd overcome the most difficult obstacle in defeating Ozai, now he was ready to initiate the next phase of his duty in restoring the world to its original stability.

He'd sat through ten days of redundant meetings and listened to regurgitated demands of politicians and was quite certain he'd memorized the name of each Earth Kingdom province and which ones needed what and in what order they were to be visited. Grumbling at the thoughts of the meetings unpleasantly rearing in his mind, he placed the scroll in his bag and decided to go out for some air before dinner.

--o--o--o--o--o--

Later, that night, Zuko was lying flat on his back sound asleep in his super King-size bed. He was cuddled with a pillow on his chest and the covers pulled up to his neck. He was quite comfortable...until the footsteps in his room caused him to bolt upright.

"Who's there?!" he shouted bending a small flame to illuminate the room. He wasn't going to just shoot fire balls again, he'd learned not to do that the hard way.

"Shh. It's just me," Mai whispered as she slipped out of her robe. "Why are you so jumpy?"

Zuko kept his flame lit as he admired the sheer red nightgown Mai was wearing. His pulse raced as he saw through it everything beautiful she possessed. He grinned as she slipped into bed next to him. "Sorry. I just didn't expect anyone to come in my room. I thought you were going home."

"Why would I go there when I can stay here with you? Your room is much more interesting than mine," she said with a tone in her voice that Zuko could've sworn was semi-seductive. She slipped her arm around his waist and laid her head in the crook of his neck. "I've missed you. You've been _way_ too busy."

"I thought you were having fun with your new friends," Zuko said with a smirk in his voice.

"Friends? By friends do you mean Toph and Ty Lee's new BFFs? That's funny. All the Kyoshi Warriors do is work out and Toph hangs out with Sokka being disgusting. Aang is always with you and I don't think that he and I have a lot in common. He doesn't like me anyway."

"Aang doesn't know you is all. He likes everyone." Zuko chuckled. "Don't worry though. They're all leaving for Ba Sing Se tomorrow and you'll have me all to yourself." He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer.

"Not if your new council has anything to do with it. Where did you dig _those_ guys up? They're like freakin ninjas. They have more knives than I do."

Zuko laughed lightly again. "I don't think we'll have issues with them. Aang and Sokka interviewed them. They wanted to make sure we had the proper protection here since they were leaving."

Mai lightly raked her fingernails across Zuko's stomach then smoothed her hand up his chest to find the side of his face and turn it toward hers. "You don't need them. I'll protect you." She smiled against his lips as she claimed them in a passionate kiss, making her intent for her visit evident as she moved her hand slowly down his torso and tugged on the drawstring of his pants. Zuko moaned lightly and grabbed her hand, pulling back from her.

"Hold on," he said as he sat up halfway and bended some spits of fire toward the candles beside his bed. The room lit with a dancing orange glow and he slipped back down to once again claim Mai's attention. "That's better," he said grinning. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her half on top of him so one of her legs rested between his. His eyes searched her face, stopping at her lips. He smiled and raised up to kiss them, lightly licking at her bottom lip. She allowed the kiss to deepen as she ran her slender fingers through his jet black hair and traced his jaw.

His hands slid over the small of her back and over her bottom, his left hand grabbing hold of her thigh and pulling upward, signaling where he wanted her. Taking the hint, Mai pulled away from the kiss and gracefully slid her body over Zuko's, drawing her legs up beneath her so she straddled his waist. He slowly slid his hands up her thighs and over the curve of her hips, taking the nightgown with them. She grabbed hold of the sheer material and pulled it over her head, revealing all of herself to him, the candlelight giving her skin a warm glow. She dropped the gown to the floor and smiled mischievously, once again tugging the drawstring of his pajama pants. She looked intently at the tied fabric and yanked on it releasing the knot. She raised up on her knees and pulled the pants down to mid-thigh. It was her turn to pull up on his thighs so he would bend his legs allowing her to move the garment out of her way. Once she had him the way she wanted him, she proceeded to tease him. Looking him in the eye, she licked the pad of her thumb, and reached down to take him in her hand, stroking and moving her moistened thumb in light circular motions on the underside of the tip.

Zuko bit down on his bottom lip to stifle a moan. He placed his hands on her thighs and moved them toward her hips. He searched with the fingers of one hand to return the favor, but with her free hand Mai stopped him.

"No, no. You've been working too hard lately. Just relax and let me take care of you."

Zuko's eyes glazed over as he looked into Mai's amber ones. She smiled softly and continued her teasing. Zuko did as was requested and rested his head against his pillow, his toes curling up and muscles tensing with each movement of Mai's hand. After another minute, he felt her release him as she moved her body futher down. He raised his head to watch as she licked his length, his mouth slightly open and his breaths quickening. She took all of him into her mouth and Zuko's head flopped back onto his pillow, the only movement he could muster was to play his fingers in her hair. Even though the feeling of her lips upon him had him nearly paralyzed, Zuko managed to tell Mai to stop when the urge for release became to great. She raised up, a seductive smile playing upon her lips. She crawled the length of his body and kissed him.

Zuko then flipped them, wanting to take over at this point. But before he could bend down to return the favor, Mai dropped her knees apart and pulled sharply on his hips bringing him into her. She moaned softly into his ear and Zuko, unable to resist, began to move within her.

He slipped one arm beneath hers and his hand under her shoulder, gripping the shoulder to gain leverage while the other hand roughly gripped her ebony hair at the nape of her neck. Their love making was at an intense pace, both releasing weeks of pent up frustration into it. He pulled on her shoulder and pushed more deeply into her, feeling her intimate muscles tighten around him with each thrust. She dug her nails into his back, the muscles of her thighs and abdomen tightening as her peak drew nearer. She threw her head back, smiling as he took the opportunity to suckle on her already sensitive neck. This was enough to push her over the edge as her climax overtook her. She let loose a loud moan of his name as her body trembled with pleasure. He joined her with his peak and groaned into her hair, slowing his pace little by little until the throbbing subsided.

He came to a stop relaxing all of his muscles at once and she did the same. They both began to laugh mirthfully and he raised his head to look into her eyes.

"Thank you," he said kissing her nose. "You always seem to know exactly what I need."

"Mm…just so happens that's exactly what _I_ needed. My intentions were purely selfish tonight."

He smirked and shook his head at her sarcasm and kissed her lips. He rested his forehead against hers. "I love you Mai."

She lightly traced her fingernails along his back and whispered, "I love you too," against his lips kissing him softly once more.

"Mai…"

"Hm?"

"Marry me."

Mai pulled back as much as she could against the pillow and searched his face almost in disbelief. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth and she blushed, something she didn't let happen too often. "Really?"

Zuko looked her in the eyes and nodded. "Yeah," he whispered. "Will you?"

Mai began to nod slowly, then more surely. "Yes. Yes, of course Zuko. I would love to be your wife," she said with her Mai-centric grin.

Zuko beamed at her and kissed her slowly and lovingly. She began to smile into the kiss and he pulled away to look at her.

"It's been far too long since I've felt this happy. Actually, I'm not sure if I've _ever_ felt this happy," she said not able to keep the smile off her face now.

"Me either," Zuko chuckled; knowing that for Mai, saying that, was saying a lot. He gently rubbed the tip of his nose against hers and placed a simple kiss to her lips. Settling in beside her, he pulled the covers over them and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"I had originally planned to ask you under different circumstances," he began. "You know, maybe after dinner and a walk in the moonlight, and with a _ring_." He placed his lips to her shoulder. "I guess I got a little caught up in the moment."

"You're apologizing?" Mai retorted. "I don't think it could have been more perfect, Zuko," she said looking at him and moving a strand of hair from his face. "We can make it official later."

Zuko nodded, and she smiled, turning her back to him. She pulled his arm around her and grabbed hold of his hand, resting it against her chest. Within minutes, the newly engaged couple was sleeping peacefully.

--o--o--o--o--o--

Zuko and Mai strolled to the dining room the next morning for breakfast hand-in-hand. They quietly giggled and whispered softly to each other, only ceasing when their arrival in the dining area drew a silence from the group of newfound friends who were nearly done eating.

"Well, well, well. Look who finally decided to join us for breakfast on the morning of our departure," Sokka smirked.

Suki smiled beside him, noting the glow coming from the couple as they took their seats. "Something's different about you two this morning," she stated.

"Something _is_ different," Toph agreed. "Care to share with the class?" she asked motioning her hands over the table.

Mai blushed and quickly shook her head while looking at Zuko. He smiled and took her hand.

"Since you've mentioned it, there is something we'd like to share with you all," he said giving her hand a squeeze.

Everyone at the table stopped eating and gave them their attention. Zuko took a deep breath.

"It's not totally official yet, but…" he looked at Mai, then to the rest of the group. "Mai and I have decided to get married."

The group erupted with applause and congratulations. Suki hugged Mai from the chair beside her, which shocked her a little, and Aang shook Zuko's hand.

"So. When's the wedding?" Sokka asked.

Zuko smiled and lifted his fork. "Like I said, it's not totally official yet, but don't worry Sokka, you're invited to the reception," he said smirking.

The group laughed as Aang raised his glass. "To Zuko and Mai, and a long and happy life together." Everyone raised their glasses in return and toasted together.

After breakfast was done, they then began to make the final preparations for their departure for the Earth Kingdom. With all of his things packed and loaded onto the ship, Aang went into town to deliver his letter to Katara to the messaging center. He knew sending the letter by messenger hawk would be quicker than through the international mail system, and that she should get the letter within a couple of days. Satisfied, he rushed back to the docks to join the others. He made it to the departure site just in time to help load the last of the supplies onto the ship. He and Zuko made their decent from the loading dock at the same time.

"You'll inform me of your arrival, right?" Zuko asked, sounding a little worried.

"Of course," Aang smiled. "I'm really excited to get started. I finally feel like we're making some progress." He looked at Zuko, and frowned at his concerned expression. "What is it Zuko?"

He shrugged. "I guess I'm a little nervous. Like I'm taking the training wheels off." He laughed at his own analogy with Aang.

"You'll be fine, Zuko," he said placing a hand on Zuko's shoulder when they reached the pier. "Just send word if things start to feel too uneasy and we'll be back as soon as we can get here. Okay?"

Zuko nodded and they went over to where the rest of the group was standing near the gangplank.

"So." Zuko started. "I guess this is it huh?"

"For now," Sokka said as he stepped forward to hug his friend, then his fiancé.

"I suppose you'll be coming to Ba Sing Se at some point to tell your Uncle of the engagement, right?" Suki asked as she hugged Mai and Zuko.

"Yeah, but…we'll have to make sure everything is stable here first. Just let him know we'll be coming as soon as we can." Zuko dodged Toph's punch and then hugged her. Everyone laughed, then Zuko walked over to Aang and shook his hand firmly.

"Thank you, Aang. For everything."

Aang nodded, and hugged his friend. "Stay safe."

"You do the same."

Zuko nodded.

Captain Lin Tao walked up to the group. "I'm sorry to interrupt, Sir. But we should be heading out."

"Of course," Zuko said as he motioned for his friends to board the ship. "Good luck!" he called out behind them.

Aang bowed, then everyone waved as they walked up the gangplank onto the deck of the ship. Zuko gathered Mai into his arms and held her tightly.

"I hope everything goes smoothly for them," he said.

"It absolutely will," Mai said as she looked up at Zuko. "You said yourself that this was the way it was supposed to be," she said as she nipped Zuko's chin with her thumb and forefinger. "Destinies fulfilled remember?"

Zuko nodded as they watched the ship pull away. He grabbed her hand and lead her to the end of the pier, where he sat. She linked her arm with his and leaned her head on his shoulder. Sensing his envy, she ventured a guess as to the source of his dismay.

"You miss your uncle don't you?"

"Very much." Zuko looked down at the sea lapping at the pylons of the dock. "For far too long I treated him as if he were the man my father and Azula made him out to be. I just want to be able to make it up to him…treat him like the father he always was to me."

Mai smiled softly and cupped Zuko's cheek making him look at her. "I know your uncle forgives you Zuko. You said you apologized to him, that you patched things up with him."

"Yeah. Then we left. It just wasn't enough. I owe him much more."

Mai relaxed back against Zuko's shoulder. "He's proud of you. I know he is. You'll have plenty of time to make it up to him, Zuko. Don't sulk so much."

Zuko laughed. "_You're_ telling _me_ not to sulk?"

Mai looked at him smirking. "Yes. Yes I am." She stood and pulled him up with her. "Come on. I believe we have an engagement ring to shop for."

--o--o--o--o--o--

Katara was making her way back to Gran-Gran's house with a basket full of groceries when she spotted one of the village children running toward her with a scroll in her hand. It was Lana, who had always volunteered to help deliver the village's mail.

"Katara! Katara! This scroll came for you this morning!" she exclaimed as she handed the scroll to the older girl.

"Thank you, Lana," Katara said smiling. She looked the scroll over and noticed the Fire Nation insignia on the end of it. Her eyes lit up.

"Aang," she breathed.

"The Avatar?" Lana asked excitedly.

Katara nodded, smiling and blushing.

"Is he your boyfriend?" the little girl pried.

Katara shook her head. "No. No he's not."

"That's not what _I_ heard," Lana said in a sing-song tone as she skipped off.

Katara smirked and placed the scroll in the basket and hurried home. She burst through the door, startling her grandmother.

"Heavens, child are you alright?" she asked with her hand to her chest. "You scared the daylights out of me."

"I'm sorry Gran-Gran. It's just that I got this letter and I--I'm sorry," she said looking ashamed.

"From Aang?" Gran-Gran asked with a smile.

"I believe so. It's from the Fire Nation." Katara placed the basket on the counter top and sat at the table.

Kanna patted her on the shoulder, "I'll give you some privacy, then. I'm going to have a bath."

Katara nodded and beamed at her grandmother. Taking the spark rocks, she lit the large candle in the center of the table for adequate reading light. She took a deep breath and broke the seal on the parchment. She licked her lips and exhaled sharply, and began to unroll the scroll.

She'd never seen Aang's handwriting before. It was a lot like his personality, light and carefree, spreading out over the entire width and length of the parchment. She carefully read over the words. She blushed over his compliments of her abilites, furrowed her brow at the mention of the political business, expressed relief toward the news of their staying in their old apartment, and laughed at the mention of Sokka and Toph's _shenanigans_. His next words caused her breath to catch in her throat.

'_I miss you like crazy.'_ She smiled from ear to ear, and bit her bottom lip. No matter if she tried, she could not calm the butterfiles that stirred in her stomach. She read the remainder of the words, and blushed at his calling spending time with her _'a breath of fresh air'._ Her eyes rushed to the bottom of the letter, searching for that four-letter-word she hoped was there in his writing…and it wasn't.

'_Aang'… _

She raised an eyebrow, her confidence shaken by the simple signature. The letter made her smile and blush and was very sweet, but she'd kind of built herself up to expect to see perhaps...something..._more_ in the closing after the things he'd said. She tried not to read too much into it...it seemed so trivial to do so. It was probably nothing. But she couldn't help thinking...was it a sign that he was beginning to feel indifferent? Had she succeeded in pushing him away completely? He could've been saying that he missed her and her company meaning her friendship right? He did say directly afterwards that the group needed and was dependent on her _direction._ She stood from the table and went to her room. She suddenly felt the way she felt the night of the comet: frustrated, helpless and guilty. If Aang had begun to let her go, she had no one but herself to blame. She sat at her desk and tossed the scroll to the side, releasing an exasperated groan. After sitting for a few minutes lost in thought, she felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked up to see her Gran-Gran's soft smile.

"Whatever is the matter, dear?" she asked. "I figured the letter would make you happy."

Katara sat back in her chair, dropping her hands to her lap. "I don't know. It's nothing, really."

"Doesn't seem like nothing. Do you want to talk about it?"

Katara shook her head. "I'm just hoping I'm making something out of nothing," she said shrugging. "Aang's letter was nice, it's just... I don't know...it's silly...nevermind."

"Whatever it is, I'm certain you're giving it more weight than it deserves. You'll get the opportunity to set things right." She pulled some writing utensils from the drawer with a fresh scroll. "Maybe you could begin with writing a letter of your own," she suggested.

Katara smiled and wondered how it was that her grandmother always seemed to know what she was thinking.

"Thank you Gran-Gran."

Gran-Gran left the room, returning with the large candle from the dining room table. She placed it on the desk and kissed Katara on the top of her head. She pulled the door flap closed to give Katara some time alone. Throwing consequence to the wind, she decided to write to him, and reveal the feelings she'd held in for far too long…with a letter of her own.

"_Five nights past the full moon of October_

_Dear Aang--"..._

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Continues in Ch. 6- Ba Sing Se.

Please R&R- Am I losing my readers? Let me know if you still love me ;) Reviews make me happy, and keeps the inspiration flowing...


	6. Ch 6Ba Sing Se

_Finally, the reunion will take place. I guess this chapter is a good place to include this:_

**Disclaimer**: The characters depicted herein are the property of Nickelodeon and Viacom, created by Mike D. and Bryan K.

_Thank you. I hope I've successfully avoided being sued... on with Ch. 6 --_

* * *

Ch. 6. Ba Sing Se

That letter was burning a hole into her desk. She'd written it, rewritten it, and still couldn't bring herself to have it sent. Aang's letter had been in her possession for almost two weeks, so she figured they should be in Ba Sing Se by now, or at least nearing their destination. There was still time to send the letter and have it reach him before her own departure for Ba Sing Se.

She felt the last rewrite of her letter was the best version. She didn't want to spill _too_ much in her response, as she had considered doing on the night she first read his letter. She found what she had written sufficient to make her intentions known and still leave her some room to do some explaining face-to-face. Katara had been working on her spiel, and was anticipating being able to settle things with him when they had some time alone. She was becoming rather excited about her trip to the Earth Kingdom, as her grandmother had made a full recovery.

She sat on the edge of her bed, her legs crossed and her arms folded across her chest, staring at the scroll. Her heart started to race at the thought of Aang reading her letter. She stood and grabbed the scroll, tempted to open it and revise it once more. Instead, she tightened her grip around it and left the apartment, headed for the messaging center.

--o--o--o--o--o--

Katara finished tying down the rest of her supplies in Appa's saddle and slipped back down to the snow to bid her father and grandmother farewell.

"I'm going to miss you so much," she said hugging her father. "I feel guilty for leaving."

"Don't," he encouraged. "Your brother and friends need you. We'll see each other again soon. I know it."

She looked at her father and nodded, wiping the stray tears she was trying to hold back.

Her grandmother came to her and gave her a bundle of neatly folded deep blue chenille. Katara took the bundle with a curious look, running her hands over the soft fabric, touching her fingers to the clasp bearing the symbol of the water tribes.

"I made this for you," Kanna began. "I know it doesn't get very cold in the Earth Kingdom like it does here, but I thought with the approaching winter you could use something to keep you warm."

Katara's eyes lit up as she unfurled the fabric revealing a beautifully made cloak. It had a wide hood and ran the length of her body.

"It's beautiful Gran-Gran," she breathed. "I saw you sewing. I had no idea that you were working on something for me." She folded up the cloak and hugged her grandmother. "Thank you so much."

"It's nothing," Kanna stated hugging her tightly. "It's the least I can do after all you've done for me."

"I was glad to do it." Katara pulled back from her grandmother with a half-smile and looked up at the moon, which was two days into the waxing gibbous phase. "As much as I want to stay, I really should get going before it gets too late. I'd like to try to make it to Kyoshi Island so I'll have a safe place to sleep tonight."

"Go then," Hakoda said wrapping her in another hug. "Please be careful."

She turned to her grandmother and hugged her again. "Are you sure it's better you travel tonight?" Kanna asked her. "Wouldn't be easier to travel by the light of day?"

"We'll be on our way again in the morning. I've tried to plan the trip where I'll have safe and familiar places to camp since I'll be on my own. Sokka's usually the map guy, but I'll be fine."

She climbed up onto Appa's head and took his reins. "I'll send a letter as soon as I get there." She paused thoughtfully. "Today is Monday. I should be there by the week's end."

Hakoda and Kanna both nodded.

"Take care of yourself Gran-Gran."

"I will. You do the same."

Katara flicked the reins, and with a "yip-yip" she was bound for Ba Sing Se.

--o--o--o--o--o--

The group was being taken back to their apartment by carriage after a long day of meetings with the Order of the White Lotus and the Council of Five. The Earth King had been found in an extreme southern province of the Earth Kingdom and was contacted with the news that the city was currently under military command and told who was overseeing the political affairs of the city in his absence. There was some uncertainty as to whether or not he would return. They would have to wait for a response.

Much to Aang's relief, there were several Earth Kingdom troops and volunteers willing to aid the refugees in their trek back to their homes, leaving them to take care of the more pressing issue of reworking the city's political system. The Fire Nation troops had been surprisingly eager to retreat from their occupation of the outlying areas of the Earth Kingdom. Sokka thought it had something to do with the fact that Aang would drop an _'air bending slice' _on them if they didn't. Indeed, word of Aang's unique ability to strip one of their bending had circulated rather quickly throughout the world. They were running into far fewer problems than they anticipated when it came to enforcing the new policies of the United Council.

Several peace treaties and trade agreements of provinces whose political leaders were present in the initial meetings were drafted and signed before their parting from the Fire Nation. However, the political workings of Ba Sing Se were far more intricate, being that it was the capital of the nation; the political, cultural and financial hub of the Eastern world. It was going to take more than a few signatures on a piece of paper to restore order to the great city. A new freedom was in store for the citizens here as well. The Dai Li was no longer the power center of the government, the corruption sniped and the veil of fraudulence lifted. There had been progress toward doing away with the walls within the city, so all residents would be as equals with no barriers, physical or political, separating them.

In more remote areas of the Earth Kingdom, negotiations were going to be more difficult to orchestrate. The leaders of these areas were stubborn and skeptical of this new _era of peace_. Their prejudices against the Fire Nation were deeply rooted, and would require careful coaxing of the Avatar and a trusted council to get them to concur and become part of the fledgling World Alliance that was taking shape.

The day had been long, with the four of them spending the entirety of it at the palace. They'd left for home after dinner, just as the sun was disappearing over the western wall of the city. Aang was feeling relieved due to the decision that his work would be primarily in Ba Sing Se for the time being. He relaxed his head back against the cushion of the bench seat, tuning out the conversation taking place between his friends and nearly allowing the gentle rocking of the moving carriage to lull him to sleep. When the carriage jerked to a stop, his head fell forward and he was startled into consciousness. He piled out of the coach behind his friends and walked lazily toward their apartment and up the steps, traipsing through the common area and toward his bedroom.

"Hey Aang," Sokka called out. "Can I have this funky-lookin fruit you bought the other day?" he asked from the kitchen doorway holding up a star-shaped fruit.

Aang turned toward him rubbing his eye sleepily. He shrugged indifferently. "Yeah, I don't care."

Sokka eyed him suspiciously. "You okay?"

Aang had already turned from Sokka and was walking toward his room again, stretching his arms toward the sky. "Mm-hm," he mumbled. "Just sleepy."

Sokka shrugged and went back into the kitchen to turn his attention to slicing up his snack. A knock on the door took everyone by surprise. Toph stood from the table and walked toward the door.

"Who is it Toph?" Aang asked quietly.

"No one familiar. But it's okay," she stated as she opened the door. A man dressed in green robes bowed holding forward a scroll in his hands.

"I apologize for my late calling," he began, "but a message arrived for the Avatar just as we were closing this evening." Toph took the scroll and the man quickly bowed again and was gone. Aang walked toward her and retrieved the scroll. He looked it over, noticing the symbol of the crescent moon on the end of the scroll.

"It's from Katara!"

"Really? Is she coming soon?" Sokka asked chewing his fruit.

Aang sat at the table and quickly unrolled the scroll. He'd started to read it when Sokka called out from the kitchen again.

"So what does it say?"

Aang began to scan over the words. The letter was addressed to him, and while it did contain information concerning her nearing arrival date, he blushed, not wanting to read the letter aloud.

"Um, she wrote it four days ago. Home is great. She should be here in a few days." He quickly stood from the table and went to his room with the letter.

"That's all she said? How's--" Sokka heard Aang's door shut. "--Gran-Gran?" he asked in a lowered tone, realizing that now Aang was no longer in the room.

"What's with him?" Toph asked while munching on some walnuts.

Suki just smirked. "He must be really _tired_."

--o--o--o--o--o--

Aang went to his desk shoving papers aside and bending a small flame to light the lamp there. He'd only merely scanned the letter, but he could already tell this was something he wanted to read alone. The first few days he'd been in Ba Sing Se he'd worried that Katara wasn't going to send a letter in return. He'd written a letter to her before they left the Fire Nation five weeks ago. When they arrived in the city, he was a bit disappointed that there was not yet a message from her. He was happy to receive the letter, but did not expect to see the words he saw laid out before him now.

"_Two nights past the New Moon of November_

_Dear Aang,_

_It was so good to hear from you! Home is wonderful! You should see how beautiful it is. It's almost unbelievable that this was the home Sokka and I left all those months ago. I'll be leaving soon though, I should make it to Ba Sing Se shortly after the moon becomes full. Gran-Gran is doing well and improving daily. I'm flattered that you think so highly of my healing abilities. I just do what I feel I've been called to do, I've never really taken the time to consider my abilities a 'gift'. Guess that's something you and I have in common don't we? _

_Speaking of things we have in common, there is something I need to talk with you about when I see you. I don't like the way things were left the night we spoke on Ember Island. I treated you unfairly. It's something that has been bothering me for some time now. I would like the chance to explain myself. I know we haven't had the opportunity to talk much since that night, but I hope that what happened hasn't affected our friendship. I wanted to talk to you about all of this that night on the pier. I should have told you the truth about what I was feeling when we were on Ember Island. The night of your battle with Ozai I nearly drove myself mad with worry. I'm thankful to the spirits that you made it. That we all made it, and that maybe... _

_I really would rather wait until we can speak face-to-face. Some things are just better said in person. I hope you haven't given up on me. Sometimes I'm too stubborn for my own good. _

_On a lighter note, I laughed out loud when I read what you wrote about Sokka and Toph. I guess some things will never change. Oh and by the way, my dad says to tell you hello as well. He will be remaining here to establish some stable trade agreements between our tribe and the Fire Nation. He says you have enough on your plate right now. He's had me write a letter to Zuko's council to establish contact so you don't have to do any additional work._

_I'll be making my trip to Ba Sing Se alone, but don't worry. I'll be aided by the energy of the waxing gibbous, and then the full moon. I think that a master waterbender under a full moon can take care of herself, don't you? I'm writing this letter on a Thursday, and hopefully by Monday I'll be leaving the South Pole. My estimation would be to look for me by the week's end. If I make it before that it will be because of Appa's amazing efforts and my ability to stay awake for insane amounts of time. I'll be safe, I promise. I've missed you all so much! I can't wait to see you!_

_Until our next meeting,_

_--Katara" _

Aang smirked at her words and felt a blush heating his cheeks. He read the letter once more just to be sure of what he was gathering from what she wrote. He'd never imagined that while he was half a world away from her engaged in the battle for their lives, that she was thinking of him in this way and was scared she'd never be able to tell him so. Of course, upon his return, she had grabbed him and held him more tightly than she ever had before. He'd dismissed the intensity of the situation then, because of her previous reaction to his admission at the theater. But all this time, as his friends had tried to assure him, the feelings were mutual. His unfounded fears were shattered at reading the confirmation written in her own hand.

He'd resolved to holding back when he saw her again, to give her the space it seemed she needed. He'd felt ashamed for kissing her that night at the theater, and feared it drove her away, that any progress he'd made toward showing her how he felt for her had been lost. He'd told himself that he would refrain from such ambitious displays of affection toward her from that night on. Still, even with the validation in his hands, Aang decided to let her make the decision to move forward. If taking things further was what she wanted, then he would give her the chance to let him know in her own way.

Aang rolled the parchment back up and placed it in a side pocket within his bag. The letter would be kept safely with his few belongings and go with him wherever he went, and, with any luck, the author would too. Suddenly, he wasn't so sleepy anymore, and left his room to see what his friends were up to. He was met with smirks and knowing glances, causing a rush of color to flood his cheeks.

"What?" he asked innocently. "Why are you all looking at me like that?"

"I thought you were sleepy," Sokka said flicking Toph's ear. She turned and smacked him upside the head.

"Cheater! Not while I'm not looking!" she said folding her arms over her chest.

"Looking? But--never mind," he said rubbing his head.

Suki giggled beside him and wrapped her arms around his neck pulling his head to her chest and kissing it where Toph had assaulted him. "What did Katara say in her letter?" she asked trying to sound unknowing.

Aang began to scratch the back of his neck. "Well, she should be here in about five days or so. According to her letter she was leaving sometime today."

"Did she say anything about Gran-Gran, or Dad?" Sokka asked still lounging in his girlfriend's lap.

"Yeah, she said Gran-Gran is doing well and your Dad says hello and that he's working on the trade agreements with Zuko himself."

"Anything else?" Toph asked, pushing a cup of tea across the table for Aang and taking some for herself.

Aang sat at the table with the group and took his tea cup. "She said she will be traveling alone but not to worry because she'll be traveling by the full moon. And that she's missed everyone." He took a long draw from his cup, hoping his short answers were sufficient. He could feel they knew more than they were letting on.

"Well that sounds like a pretty standard letter," Toph began. "But that hardly explains why your heart is pounding right now." She smirked and leaned on her forearms on the table. "There's something you're not telling us."

Aang covered his eyes with his hand and pulled it over his face. "It's just...it's personal. It's not really something I want to talk about with other people right now."

"_Other people_?" Sokka asked sitting up. "Aang, I'm offended," he stated placing his hand on his chest. "I thought we were all family here."

"We are!" Aang defended. "It has nothing to do with that, Sokka." He felt his cheeks tinge with heat again. "I just don't want to talk about it okay?"

"Well," Suki said, "can you at least tell us if it was good news for you?" She smiled and bit her bottom lip.

Aang looked at Sokka with wide eyes. "What have you told them?"

Toph put her hand up interjecting. "Please, Mr. Crush of the _Century_. Someone would have to be completely blind to miss what's going on with you two."

Sokka looked at her poking out his lower jaw and stroking it with his thumb and forefinger. He decided against commenting on Toph's pun and turned his attention back to Aang. "Yeah, so spill."

Aang lifted his cup again, emptying it of its contents and placing it on the table. He stood and stretched. "Yeeeaaah, well I'm all of a sudden really tired, so I'll see you all in the morning." He turned and began to walk to his room.

"Sissy Pants."

Aang spun around at Toph's insult and gaped at her. "Are you serious?"

Sokka chuckled and Suki pushed him over. "Leave him alone you guys. If he doesn't want to tell us he doesn't have to."

"That's okay. We'll just ask Katara." Sokka teased sitting himself back up.

"No, you won't." Aang said crossing his arms. "Sokka you know how sensitive the subject has been. It would be nice if you let us work things out on our own. Save the sarcasm for later."

Sokka softened up, realizing that maybe they _were_ prying too much. "Alright, alright. But will you at least tell us if it was good news?"

Aang dropped his arms and walked from the room. He heard the disappointed grumbles coming from the common area and smirked.

"Yeah," he said to himself after closing his bedroom door. "I guess it was pretty good news."

--o--o--o--o--o--

Zuko and Mai were on an excursion of their own after she had convinced him that the new generals could handle their affairs for a couple of weeks while they visited Uncle Iroh. Zuko thought it would be faster if they took one of the new balloons instead of traveling by sea.

Since the war ended, the Fire Nation's mechanists and designers had been hard at work remodeling the fleet of balloons that remained. The balloons were now in regal red and gold, without the intimidating face they once bore. The cars had been refurbished to include two levels of lavish quarters for passengers instead of a bay for bombs and other provisions of battle. They were no longer war balloons, but a brand new way to travel the world. Zuko's council regarded them as a significant advance in not only a faster method of trade logistics, but also in offering a more swift mode of travel to other citizens of the world. The design was to be traded to the other nations so that they could build their own fleets, thereby generating significant revenue for all parties involved.

After five weeks of monotonous meetings and treaty signings, Zuko was more than ready for a break. He was bringing a whole stack of paperwork for Aang to sort through: treaties and trade agreements that needed his authorization. Such was their arrangement; each pre-agreement for peace and trade was to be combed over by not only Zuko, but his council as well, with the final stamp of approval given by the Avatar.

Zuko and Mai were out on the observation deck, enjoying the view of the sunset over the Earth Kingdom when the pilot came over the communication system.

"Fire Lord Zuko, Lady Mai. We are nearing our destination at the Great Wall of Ba Sing Se. Please return to your seats as we make our decent."

They did as requested, and Mai noticed Zuko was looking a little distant.

"Want to tell me what's on your mind?"

Zuko took her hand and looked at her ring which sparkled with an array of colors. "I'm thinking of what my uncle will say when we tell him of our engagment."

"You think he'll disapprove?"

"No, not at all. He'll be happy for us both." Zuko kissed her hand as the door to the pilot's quarters opened and the pilot stepped through.

"Fire Lord, Lady, we've arrived," he stated bowing.

Zuko and Mai stood and disembarked to the gate of the Great Wall. They were greeted by General Sung who bowed before them.

"It is my great pleasure Fire Lord Zuko, to welcome you to Ba Sing Se. My name is General Sung. And your Lady companion?"

Zuko returned the bow and replied, "this is Mai. She is my fiancee, and daughter of Fire Nation nobility."

General Sung bowed once again before her. "Lady Mai. Welcome to the Earth Kingdom capital."

Mai smiled slightly, nodding her head.

"Will you be requiring escort to your lodgings?" General Sung asked as he gave the signal for the Terra Team to bend open the great gate.

"That would be wonderful, thank you General," Zuko stated as they walked toward the gate.

"Wow," Mai breathed as they passed through the wall. "I never took the time to pay attention to the wall last time we entered the city."

"Oh, you've been to Ba Sing Se before, Lady Mai?" General Sung inquired as he motioned toward the monorail transport train.

They stepped aboard and Mai suddenly looked guarded, "uh, well, it's been a while but--"

"She's traveled here with her family in the past, as guests of Earth Kingdom nobility," Zuko fabricated for her. She looked at him with a grateful glance.

"Excellent," General Sung stated. "Well, enjoy your time here in Ba Sing Se." He bowed once again to bid them farewell. "Fire Lord, Lady Mai."

Zuko nodded and they took their seat in the front car of the train. They watched as the wide open fields of the Agrarian Zone began to pass by in different shades of green.

"Where did you come up with that, Zuko?"

"Well, I couldn't let on that your previous visit here was one that brought about the fall of the city. I figured if I told him your family was hosted by a noble family here in the past, it would make sense. See, before the city was captured, the war was not to be mentioned within the walls, especially in the Upper Ring. The nobility of this city were not even aware a war was going on, therefore they would not be opposed to hosting a family from the Fire Nation."

"Well I wasn't expecting a history lesson." Mai smirked. "But thank you just the same for covering for me."

They rode for some time before reaching the station in the upper ring. They stepped off the train, Zuko noticing that the air here felt much more relaxed than it did the last time he was in the city. There were citizens of all classes milling about inside the station and outside in the market and shopping area.

"Well, I guess Aang has already stated his disapproval for the separation of class here in the city," Zuko pondered with a grin. "I didn't figure it would take too long."

They strolled along for a while through the streets, hand-in-hand, receiving stares and whispers from the people there.

"What do you think they're saying, Zuko?" Mai whispered.

Zuko shrugged. "I'm not sure. I guess it will take a while longer before citizens of the Fire Nation will be trusted here. It's only been six weeks since the war ended you know."

Mai nodded and gripped Zuko's hand tighter. "Let's hurry and find your Uncle's shop."

"No need," Zuko said pointing. "Because we're already here."

They climbed the steps to the Jasmine Dragon and entered through the door, to find Iroh sweeping up after what appeared to be a busy day judging by the tables that were still full.

"Uncle."

Iroh looked up with a wide smile. He dropped his broom and enveloped both of them in a hug.

--o--o--o--o--o--

Iroh, Zuko and Mai had just left the gaang's apartment, having spent the evening with them for a pre-celebration dinner for Zuko and Mai's engagement, with the official celebration to be held when Katara returned. Suki made dinner for them, Zuko and Mai brought some wine and Uncle made the tea. Sokka and Suki readily helped themselves to the wine, and Sokka kept everyone laughing with his antics all night. The mood had been light, and they all seemed to genuinely enjoy themselves.

It was Friday night, the end of a long week of politics and such, and Aang was looking forward to relaxing for the weekend. He had enjoyed the company, but in the back of his mind, he knew the moon was full and that every second Katara neared closer to Ba Sing Se. With no one left awake to distract him from thinking of her arrival, he was growing more nervous. He felt she was going to be there at any time, possibly any minute. With his nerves getting the better of him, he decided to go to the area of the backyard that he'd set up for meditation.

He and Toph had fashioned the perfect area for deep thought with earthbending. There were four pillars that rose about eight feet into the air, where he'd draped a sheer white material between them to somewhat enclose the area while leaving the top open. In the center was a small fire pit so he could keep warm during meditation on cool nights. Just outside the raised earth of the patio was a small reflecting pool with two koi fish who circled each other much like the Moon and Ocean Spirits. There was something about being surrounded by the four elements that aided Aang in achieving the utmost state of peace during his meditation. So naturally, if he was going to have a place for meditation that he was to use regularly at his home, he wanted it to be a place where he'd feel perfectly comfortable, enveloped by the elements.

He walked down the stone pathway leading to his thoughtful spot and stepped onto the patio. He bended a flame to the fire pit to make a small fire and lit some candles, then sitting in his meditative posture, began to let his thoughts disperse. As he meditated, he thought of all the changes everyone had gone through in the short time since he met them, and the time the war ended. He had mastered the Avatar state and was coming close to mastering the other three elements with the help of his friends. Katara had mastered her own element and discovered her amazing healing abilities, without which, he may not be here at all. Sokka was becoming quite the capable swords master, not that he wasn't already a remarkable warrior, but he had come such a long way in their time together. Even Toph, who seemed to master her element as a young child, was further developing her skills. Zuko was now Fire Lord, not only that, but he had become one of his dearest friends. There was a certain benevolence in Zuko that Aang didn't quite understand yet, but he felt that they had a bond that was deeper than their newfound friendship.

The remaining strands of thought lingered upon Katara and Appa, though it didn't stress him. He could feel their energies, that they were calm and that they were close. As he continued to meditate on their energies, he could have sworn he heard Appa's bellow in the distance. His eyes opened and he scanned the night sky to see if he was hearing things or if it was real. When he saw nothing and didn't hear the sound again, he returned to his previous state. Then, he heard the sound again and knew he wasn't imagining it. He lept to his feet and saw Appa coming in to land in the back yard.

"Appa!" He rushed over to him and petted his nose, nestling the side of his face against his fuzzy forehead. He then looked up and smiled at Katara, who was beginning to slide down from Appa's head.

"Hey," he said as he extended his hand to her, she took it, her eyes meeting his.

"Hey," she smiled back, and when her feet touched the ground she pulled Aang into a tight hug. He wrapped his arms around her waist and they both giggled, delighted to see each other.

"I've missed you so much," she said close to his ear, nearly whispering.

"I've missed you, too," he replied, slightly nuzzling her hair.

They pulled back from each other, holding onto one another's hands and smiling. Katara felt as if her heart was beating double-time. She kissed Aang on his cheek, thinking of what to say first, but noticed something different about his appearance.

"Are you…did you get _taller_?" she asked stepping back from him a little.

Aang looked at his feet and shrugged. "In only six weeks? I'm not sure. Guess it looks like it huh?" he replied with a sheepish grin.

She giggled shaking her head. "Something tells me you'll be looking down at me in no time at all."

Appa groaned and they both turned toward him. Aang released Katara's hands and sat on his knees in front of Appa in the grass, petting his nose. Katara took a seat next to him smiling at the bison.

"I'm glad you both made it safely." He looked to Katara and smiled his half-smile. "Thanks for taking care of him for me."

"He did his part in taking care of me." Katara replied petting Appa's nose. "Oh that reminds me. I promised him if we flew straight through instead of stopping to rest I'd give him a treat." She climbed up to the saddle. "Aang, catch!" she called down to him as she tossed down, one at a time, three honeydew melons for Appa.

"Here ya go buddy," Aang said setting the fruit down before the bison.

Katara climbed back down as Appa quickly finished off the fruit.

"She does take good care of you, doesn't she?"

Katara giggled as Appa nudged her with his nose. Aang looked affectionately at the two souls closest to him in the world, and felt a warmth grow within his chest. He knew no one in the world could ever take Katara's place.

"I'm really grateful you let me travel with him. The time difference really was a factor. Gran-Gran didn't look good at all," she said, resting her right hand near Appa's ear.

"What was wrong?"

"She had some sort of infection that affected her breathing. My aunt said she was slipping a little more each day. If it weren't for you, I may not have made it in time." Her expression showed her gratitude, "thank you."

"I'm glad we could help," Aang said smiling at Appa.

The bison stretched his legs and laid down for some much needed sleep. Aang jumped up to the saddle and grabbed Katara's things for her, then they began walking toward the house.

"So, what are you doing up so late? I figured everyone would be asleep when I got here."

"I couldn't sleep. I guess I just knew you guys were coming," Aang said with a smirk. "Are you hungry? There's still plenty of food left."

They walked through the door and into the kitchen, and Katara looked at all the food with wide eyes.

"Wow. Did you guys have a party?"

"Actually, we did, sort of. Iroh, Zuko and Mai came over. We were celebrating with them. Zuko and Mai came to Ba Sing Se a few days ago to tell General Iroh of their engagement. We were planning on having a party for them when you got here."

"They're engaged?! That's so exciting!"

Momo scampered into the kitchen chattering excitedly as he hopped up to Katara's shoulder.

"Hey Momo, I was beginning to wonder what had happened to you."

Aang laughed and scratched Momo's ear. "I think Sokka gave him some wine earlier. He's been asleep."

Katara took him from her shoulder and cradled him. "Poor thing," she cooed scratching his tummy. "He didn't fare too well when Sokka shared the cactus juice with him either." They both laughed and Aang got a plate for Katara. While she sat down to eat, he took her things to her room for her. When he came back to the table where she was, she looked up and gave him a small smile.

"Thanks, Aang. You don't have to do all this for me you know."

"I know. But I don't mind." He sat on one of the pillows adjacent to hers. "It's really good to have you back."

"It's really good to be back," she replied after sipping her tea. "Being home was wonderful. I loved spending time with Gran-Gran. But I just couldn't help but feel like I was missing so much, even though you told me I wasn't." She smirked and went back to her food.

"Really, all you've missed are meetings with the Royal Courts. We got a lot accomplished before we ever left the Fire Nation. Since we arrived here, we've determined that most of our work needs to be in Ba Sing Se for now. The Council doesn't think I'll have to do any traveling for a couple more months."

"Oh," Katara said looking down. "So you will have to go away."

"It's not going to be as bad as it sounds. I'll only have to travel when they need me to. In the meantime, we'll be able to sort through some personal requests and help out with rebuilding. I'm actually looking forward to doing some good instead of sitting in those meetings all day. I'm learning a lot though. I guess it's kind of important to learn all I can so when I do go to meet with these other political leaders, I'll have an idea of what to say to them."

Katara smiled, "you're a natural. You've really gotten to hone your peacemaking skills traveling with me and Sokka. Besides, it's what you were born to do…you were made especially for this job. I can't think of anyone who'd be better suited for it."

"Thanks, Katara. That really means a lot."

"It's the truth. You'll do great." She covered a yawn and stretched her arms over her head.

"It's getting late. I guess we should go to sleep." Aang said as he got up and took Katara's plate to the kitchen for her. She stood and smiled as he walked away, picking up her tea cup and taking it to the kitchen as well.

They walked side-by-side toward their bedrooms, which were next door to each other. They stopped in front of their respective doors and glanced in one another's direction.

"See you in the morning," Aang smiled as he opened his door and walked into his room.

"G'night Aang."

She closed her door and smiled to herself as she got ready for bed. While her confession was on the tip of her tongue, she thought it better to wait until tomorrow.

--o--o--o--o--o--

The next morning after being practically tackled by Sokka and answering a dozen questions about her trip, Katara went out with the girls to go shopping for new dresses for the dinner that evening. Aang and Sokka went to the Jasmine Dragon to help Iroh and Zuko close the tea shop and make the preparations for the night's plans. The girls went to a dress shop in the Upper Ring and were greeted with deep bows and reverence. Katara looked a little confused.

"Learn to love it, Sweetness," Toph said smirking. "It's not everyday you have people in the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se treating you like royalty."

"But it's really not necessary." Katara politely returned the bows and began to sort through the racks of clothes. "We did what we had to do, that hardly calls for someone to treat us like royalty."

"Quite the contrary," the shop owner stated. "Because of what you all accomplished alongside the Avatar, you will be regarded with the highest of honor. Please allow us to assist you."

Katara smiled sheepishly, "I appreciate that, I really do. But--"

The shop owner waved her hand. "No, no, no. I insist."

Katara sighed in defeat and began to let the ladies pull dresses from the racks for her. She turned around to see the other girls were already sitting in the plush green chairs beside the dressing area.

"Used to this already, are you?" Katara asked with her hands on her hips.

"Pssssh, you're acting just like Aang," Toph said putting her feet up on the table in front of her. "He doesn't want to revel in the hero worship either."

"Because humility is a great virtue, and what we did for the people was our _duty_, not only to Aang, but to our families and nations."

"Ugh, you sound like him too."

Suki and Mai covered their giggles while Katara took a seat next to Mai. She started to reach for the tea pot on the table to pour herself some tea when one of the shop attendants rushed to do it for her. Katara sat back exasperated, and raised an eyebrow toward the other girls.

"You'll get used to it," Mai said half-smiling.

"I'm not sure _I_ will. You are because you've been waited on your whole life, with your family being of political status. Toph is used to it--"

"I'm not, but it _is_ kind of nice," Suki interrupted with a smile. "Just relax, Katara. We're finally to the point where we don't have to worry so much. Just enjoy it."

Katara smiled slightly, perhaps Suki was right. "By the way, congratulations, Mai. I know you and Zuko will be very happy."

"Thanks," Mai smiled. "I'm really glad you guys helped Zuko. I think that was the best thing that could have happened to him next to his uncle being there for him. I didn't understand his motives for leaving at first, but now I see he did the right thing."

"I never got to thank you for helping my dad and Sokka escape from that prison. That took a lot of bravery to do what you did in standing up to Azula."

Mai smiled into her tea cup. "Don't mention it. I guess his _transformation_ is rubbing off on me."

Katara smiled as the shop owner came over to the group, summoning them to try on the dresses they'd picked out for them. There was one attendant for each of the girls, shuffling through the dresses, buttoning and unbuttoning, tying and untying.

"They're all green?" Katara asked turning in the mirror and examining the fit of one the dresses.

"Yes, Mistress. I hope that's alright. It does, however, look lovely with your skin tone if I may say so," the attendant complemented.

"Thank you. I guess I'm just not used to it," she turned back to the dresses the attendant had hung up for her. "What about this one? It's a pretty shade of green. Can we try it on?"

"Of course, Mistress."

The attendant helped Katara into the dress, adjusting the fabric at the bottom of the skirt. Katara turned toward the mirror and smiled. She nodded to the attendant.

"I like this one."

"Excellent Mistress, I'll have it wrapped up for you."

--o--o--o--o--o--

After they had lunch and shopped a little more, the girls went back to the apartment to get ready for the dinner. Katara went to her room to dress, holding a bouquet of pink flowers she'd bought. She put the flowers in a vase on her dresser, and pulled one from the bunch. She looked at her dress hanging on the back of the door and looked back to the flower. She laid it down and took the dress from the hanger, she slipped into it and checked her reflection.

"I guess I can get used to green," she said smiling and turning in the mirror. The light shade of the dress did complement her skin tone, even making her cheeks appear slightly pinker. She brushed her hair out, then pulled half of it back and secured her hair loops. She took the flower, snipped the stem and placed it just above her hair tie, as an accent to her outfit. She smiled to herself and emerged from her room, to find the other girls sitting and waiting for her.

"'Bout time," Toph said standing and stretching. "You seeing women take forever."

"Sorry, Toph. I didn't know you were in such a hurry," Katara said with a smirk in her voice.

"I'm not, but the man with the carriage has been here for almost half an hour." Toph opened the door to reveal an ostrich horse-drawn coach waiting to take them to the tea shop.

"Can't we walk? It's not that far," Katara said as they walked out the door. Mai and Suki smirked at each other and Toph blew her bangs out of her eyes. The girls filed into the carriage and rode quietly for the five minutes it took to get to the Jasmine Dragon.

They walked into the tea shop to find the guys sitting around, drinking tea, playing Pai Sho, and doing nothing in particular. Iroh was in the kitchen preparing dinner, and looked up as the girls walked in.

"Welcome, ladies," he called from the kitchen. "Make yourselves comfortable, dinner will be ready soon."

The guys turned toward the subjects of Iroh's greeting and their jaws dropped collectively. Zuko walked toward Mai, taking her hands and kissing her cheek.

"You look beautiful."

Mai blushed, "stop it. Green is so not my color."

Suki went over and sat on Sokka's lap.

"Hey there gorgeous," he said nuzzling her cheek. Suki giggled and kissed him lightly.

Toph went to the kitchen to hang out with Iroh as Katara nervously made her way to the table where Aang and Sokka were sitting. Aang's cheeks were visibly colored as Katara took a seat next to him.

"Wow," he smiled. "You look really pretty."

Katara smoothed her dress and blushed in return, "thanks, Aang."

"Really, green looks good on you," he said scratching the back of his neck.

"I think it's growing on me," she said with a small smile.

They all sat and talked about what they did that day, Katara talking about the weirdness of having people wait on her, and Mai talking about how it was funny seeing her fluster over not being able to do things for herself. The guys talked about the things they _didn't_ do that day, since after they helped Iroh clean up the shop, there wasn't a whole lot else to do. Iroh had insisted he prepare the food himself.

"Okay blubber heads, come help with the food!" Toph yelled from the kitchen. Everyone went to either help carry food out or to set the table. Iroh carried in the tea, pouring some for each of the guests. They all stood around the table to toast to Zuko and Mai.

"This has got to be one of the proudest days of my life," Iroh began. "Even just a year ago, I would have never imagined I would be here, with my nephew, his _fiancee_, the Avatar and his friends, toasting to the happiness of a new chapter in life. I'm truly proud of you Zuko, for all the changes you made, the strength you've shown, for becoming the man I always knew you could be. I wish you two all the happiness that life will allow. Here's to a new beginning, and a long and happy life."

"Here, here!" the group exclaimed as they congratulated the couple.

Everyone took their seats and talked over dinner, of wedding plans and honeymoons, and Iroh even mentioned becoming a grandfather, making the honored couple blush furiously. When dinner was done, everyone helped to clean up while Iroh set out some tea and small cakes in the window of the kitchen for dessert. Once the work was done, everyone relaxed, while Zuko poured tea for everyone and carried it on a tray giving a cup to each of their guests.

"Zuko, would you _stop_ moving? I'm _trying_ to capture the _moment. _I wanted to do a painting, so we always remember the good times together," Sokka said from the table where he paused thoughtfully, brush in hand.

Everyone went over to inspect the picture, complaining of Sokka's handywork, of course. Momo left the air ball he was playing with to give his opinion, with Sokka daring him to try to do better. Aang smiled at his friends, feeling that, in this moment, all was right with the world, that all the hard work they'd put in had finally allowed them to live in peace. They all looked completely at ease; his small, makeshift family was happy, which was all he could have hoped for. He stood and walked toward the door stopping just outside to pet Appa's nose, hearing the cheerful laughter of his friends in the background. He went to the railing and stood, admiring the sunset over the great city.

Katara looked up just as Aang was walking outside and smiled softly. She realized this was her chance to speak with him alone, being that the rest of the group was occupied. She slipped out unnoticed to join Aang at the railing.

Aang felt soft footsteps coming up behind him, and knowing exactly who they belonged to, his butterflies began to stir. When Katara stopped beside him he grinned at her, which she returned, a bright blush highlighting her cheeks. She placed a hand on his shoulder, then wrapped him in a tight embrace. She opened her eyes and glanced toward him, her courage growing. Aang nuzzled her hair and opened his eyes glancing toward her. He could feel her heart racing, the same way his was.

She loosed him from the embrace, dropping her arms to her side, both of them turning toward the sunset. Katara took a deep breath, and faced Aang, a slight smile on her lips; he turned to face her, the same smile crept over his. Without a word, Katara leaned in, pressing her lips to his. He put his hands on her hips, and she brought hers to his jaw, parting her lips and deepening the kiss ever-so-slightly. He moved his hands from her hips to wrap his arms around her waist, and she moved to envelop him in her arms. It felt so effortless, for her to relinquish those feelings she'd pent up for what seemed like forever. Their lips slid over each other's in a perfect rhythm, and Katara wondered why she didn't allow herself to be swept away like this before today. He tightened his hold on her, and she moved one of her hands to the back of his head, tracing her fingers over his neck. When their lips finally parted, their foreheads still touching, both were fiercely blushing.

"Wow," Aang breathed with a smile, his eyes still closed.

Katara giggled slightly, her eyes fluttering open. They looked at each other, allowing their breathing to subside to a normal rate, and Katara bit her lower lip. She pulled him close to her again.

"I'm so sorry, Aang," she whispered in his ear.

He backed away slightly to look at her, brow furrowed in confusion. "For what?"

"For hurting you. For walking away from you that night."

"Katara, you don't have to apolo--"

"_Yes_. Yes I do," she said placing a finger to his lips. She sank to her knees, holding his hand. He sat down with her, and she reached for his other hand. She inhaled and exhaled sharply.

"I wasn't exactly truthful with you that night."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not confused, Aang. I never was. I was…just scared."

"You don't have to be scared, Katara. You know I'd never hurt you, right?"

She nodded with a crooked smile. "I know. That's not it. I guess I…it sounds so silly and selfish now…"

Aang squeezed her hands reassuringly, causing her to look up at him. His eyes were full of concern and understanding. Katara closed her eyes and continued.

"I thought we'd lost you when Azula struck you down. I knew _that _night,that my feelings for you had grown beyond friendship. It was such a relief that I was able to bring you back, and I was so afraid of losing you again, that when you confronted me at the theater, I just shut down. I...wouldn't allow myself to completely let go. I let my fear get the best of me and I kept thinking of the pain I felt when my mother was taken from us, and how losing you would be just like that. The same pain." She looked up at him, her eyes glinting with a sheen of tears. "I understand now that I was wrong, and what a mistake it was to let you go and face Ozai without knowing the truth. I would have felt far worse if I'd never gotten this chance to set things right. You were open and honest with me about your feelings and I gave you some spill about the _war_. It wasn't fair, I owed you the same honesty, and I'm so, so sorry."

"Katara," Aang said softly. "You don't owe me anything. I understand. We've all been hurt by the war, it'll take time for us to heal. So, I really can't blame you for reacting that way. If anyone should be apologizing, it should be me. I feel like I was trying to push you to into something you weren't ready for. You have no idea how many times I've wished I had that night to do over again."

Katara smiled, wiping a stray tear from her cheek. "Me too."

"Then we'll start all over. No more worrying about what should have been said or what should have been done. All is forgiven. If this," he said holding her hands up, interlacing his fingers with hers, "is what you want…" he looked at their hands, then back to her eyes, "then I promise to never make you regret this decision."

Katara nodded, blushing as she said, " I want to be with you."

Aang beamed at her and stood, pulling her up with him. He stepped closer, placing his arms around her and brushing her lips with his; hesitating slightly before completely closing the space between them with a soft kiss that reminded Katara of the kiss from her vision. The moment was perfect, there in the waning rays of the sun, as the first stars of the evening began to appear. She melted into him, letting herself be caught up in the gentle, sweet breeze of emotion. A comfort surrounded her heart, enveloping her spirit with a certain warmth as the last crumbles of her emotional barriers were swept away. She'd found her handsome, powerful bender, and silently vowed there in the twilight, to never again let him go.

* * *

Okay, so I finally made it through the canon finale. Now's the tricky part where I'm on my own. I've got most of the significant moments in the journey planned out already. Be patient with me as far as updates are concerned, but I don't intend to leave you hangin! The search for Zuko's mother will take place in upcoming chapters, as well as time lapsing to allow for age progression and relationship progression. I thank all of you for your encouraging reviews...they truly make my day! I hope you are just as pleased with the rest of the story. I know some readers aren't totally into 'future fics' but I promise to do my best in keeping true to the characters' personalities while having them mature. The relationship between Aang and Katara will progress, while it will be done tastefully with Aang staying true to form. There will be no absence of passion and some teasing along the way but don't expect them to 'go all the way' until after the wedding takes place. Yes, I intend to do a wedding scene and even though it's a ways off I already have some of it written. I don't think those of you who stick around for it will be disappointed ;) I'm not going to make an estimation of how many chapters the story will be. I'll just keep adding them until I feel it's complete. Again, thank you all for your reviews and I hope I can keep you entertained throughout the rest of the story. Continues in Ch. 7- The World Over


	7. Ch 7The World Over

Finally! It's been almost 2 months! I've been without a computer since before Thanksgiving. This is my first chapter venturing out into my own plot so I'm anxious to see what you all think. I'm happy with the way it turned out, though. I wrote in a surprise achievement for Aang as well as some lovely fluff. It seems to make you readers happy as it does me. ;) There is a tiny reference here to a fic I read entitled "Not Much Had to Change". Thank you Lyralocke ;) On with Chapter 7 --

* * *

Chapter 7. The World Over

"What about this one Aang?" Katara held up a saffron yellow and goldenrod colored tunic.

"Yeah, that one's great!" Aang smiled and took the garment from her, draping it over his arm. While shopping wasn't one of Aang's favorite pastimes, he didn't mind it much today since Katara was so willing to accompany him. His ceremonial robes weren't appropriate for everyday wear, and she had insisted on helping him pick out some new clothes. She grabbed a pair of pale brown pants and walked over to Aang.

"I know they're not your traditional Air Nation colors," she said holding the pants next to the tunic to see if they complemented each other.

"It's okay," he said taking the pants from her. "Hey, look at this." He went over to a rack that held different colored sashes used for belts. He pulled a yellow-orange one from the bunch and placed it with the other garments he held. "That's really close to Air Nation colors actually," he said holding the outfit up. He turned to walk toward the counter. "Alright, guess we're all done here."

"Don't you think you need more than one outfit?" Katara asked. She went and picked up another tunic and pair of pants. "If you're going to be traveling you'll need more than one change of clothes."

Aang shrugged and took the additional clothes from her. "I guess you're right." He paid for his purchases and they left the shop.

Aang had suggested they shop in the middle ring of the city so as to avoid the over-eager shop attendants in the upper ring. He didn't like being fussed over, and the people in this area of the city let him be. There was no 'hero worship' as Sokka and Toph called it, just the occasional nod from random passersby. He blushed as Katara took his hand and weaved her fingers between his, and he squeezed hers in return. After walking for a few minutes, they passed by a small restaurant and were enticed by the delicious aromas wafting from inside. Katara raised her nose slightly and inhaled.

"Mmm." She motioned with a nod toward the café. "You hungry?" Aang nodded eagerly and they went in to get a table.

--o--o--o--o--o--

Katara and Aang sat in the floor of his room, surrounded by piles of scrolls from every corner of the world. With Earth King Kuei properly returned to his throne, they were free to attend to the many requests that were pouring in by the dozens daily. They were sorting them into piles: those needing immediate attention, those needing Aang's seal, those that could be responded to at a later date, and those that were a definite "no" and needed a letter in response explaining the denial.

Aang rolled up the scroll he'd been perusing and noticed Katara's attention wasn't on the scroll she was holding, as her eyes were studying the candles that flickered in front of them.

"Hey," he said placing a hand on her knee. She looked up, almost in surprise, meeting his eyes. "What's on your mind?"

She'd been thinking a lot of the conversation they'd had at lunch. Finally, they'd had enough time alone where she could ask him about his battle with Ozai. During his recount of the fight, her emotions fluctuated from empathic fear in the frightening moments to beaming pride when he described the spirit bending. His regale had left her in awe, but his interaction with the lion turtle had left her feeling perplexed. She dropped the scroll and rested back on the heels of her hands, her legs crisscrossed.

"I've been trying to make sense of the lion turtle's mantra, and I think I understand it now." Katara pressed her lips together while trying to put her thoughts into words. "So…_you're _the true mind, and true heart and purifying light the lion turtle talked about aren't you?"

Aang shrugged and smirked, "I don't know. He could have been talking about light versus dark in general."

Katara shook her head, smiling. "You _are_ that personified. Think about it--" she turned her body toward him, studying his profile. "All the knowledge the monks gave you, your genuine heart and free spirit…Aang that's amazing. _You_ are amazing," she said taking his hand. Aang blushed. "I wish I could have been there to see you take Ozai down. The way Sokka described it…it must have been pretty incredible to watch." She rubbed the pad of her thumb over the arrow on his hand. "I'm sorry I wasn't there, but I knew Ozai was your fight, and that you were in good hands with Sokka, Suki and Toph. Zuko had given me an offer I couldn't refuse when he asked me to help him put Azula in her place. After what she did to you I was glad to help him take her down."

"There would've been nothing you could have done to help me. If Ozai would have seen you, he may have attacked you," he started shaking his head. "I don't want to imagine what could have happened. We all played our part. You were where you needed to be, to help protect the throne of the Fire Nation." He looked at her with a shy grin. "What's important is that it's over, and we're here, safe…and together," he said with a slight blush. Katara nodded in agreement, leaning over and seizing his lips in a warm, languid kiss. Without breaking their contact, she pulled herself closer to his side, her right leg bent in front of her, the other knee bent upright behind Aang's back. He wrapped his arms around her, turning his upper body slightly as she wrapped her left arm around his shoulders and cupped his cheek with her right hand. She kissed him as if trying to reiterate his statement, that in fact, they did make it and were here, _together._ She did indeed feel safe, and here in his embrace, she imagined there could be no safer place in the world. Reluctantly, she pulled away, tracing her fingertips along his cheek.

"We're never going to get through these scrolls this way," she said blushing.

"If you're having trouble concentrating, I guess we could ask Sokka to come help us out.," he said, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Katara laughed and scooted back to her original place on the floor beside him, picking up the discarded scroll and clearing her throat. "This one is from Governor Lao in the Earth Kingdom province of Lianjin," Katara began. "He seeks your approval for a twenty-percent tax increase on sales of products grown and manufactured in his province to nearby Fire Nation colonies."

"What? Let me see that." Aang took the parchment from her and looked it over, shaking his head. "What's wrong with these people? Where do they get the idea that it's okay to do to the colonials what's been done to them by the Fire Nation's military?"

Katara took the parchment back and rolled it up, tossing it to the 'definite no' pile. "I doubt that's the last one of those you'll get. We'll just have to come up with a polite way of telling them that they're fascist and immoral."

Aang smirked at his girlfriend. "Maybe that's exactly what we should tell them. You figure people would just let go…be at peace."

"If only everyone saw things the way you do." Katara stood and walked to the desk, pulling out a scroll and inkwell. She began to write. Aang watched as the lamplight flickered across her face, illuminating her beautiful features. He cocked his head and regarded her with a smile. As if she could feel the weight of his stare, her eyes left the parchment and met his.

"What?" she asked with a smirk.

Aang shook his head, the grin still plastered on his face. "Nothing." He stood and walked to the desk, leaning his weight against it next to her.

"Whatcha writin?"

"A letter to my family. I promised them I would write when I got settled in." She put the quill down and sat back in the chair. "I'd said something to my dad about spending my birthday with them but…I'm not sure."

"Why not?"

"Because I just got back and, well…when you leave, I want to go with you." She looked up at him with a smile in her eyes. He smiled back at her. She stood from the chair and positioned herself in front of him, draping her arms over his shoulders. He embraced her, pulling her close to him, their lips only centimeters apart. "You didn't think I'd let you do this alone did you?"

Aang shook his head. He knew very well that she had every intention of accompanying him in his travels. He'd really never considered otherwise. She'd prove to be quite helpful actually, in the rebuilding aspect as well as in the political meetings. He knew that some parts of the world still considered women to be of no use in politics, but he also knew that Katara was just the girl to change their way of thinking. That was a thought to ponder at another time, however, as her lips hovered in too close of proximity to his own to enable him to entertain a rational thought. He closed his eyes as she brushed her lips over his. It was hard to describe the feelings rushing through him at the moment. Just a few short weeks ago, he'd feared he'd ruined every chance he had to be with her this way. Now here they were, comfortable in each other's embrace as if they'd been together all along. Not much had to change between them, they were great friends, and they always would be, but the new benefits that came with actually being _together_ far outshined those of just friendship. He felt a rush of warmth as she met his lips in soft, lingering kisses. She pulled back to look at him, a blush brightening both their cheeks.

"I'll go with you wherever you go. For as long as you'll have me."

Aang searched her face before meeting her eyes. "You're sure? What about your family? Your home?"

Katara framed his face with her hands. "You're my family too, and my home…is with you." She moved her arms to wrap around his torso. "I realized when I was in the South Pole, that it didn't feel like home for me anymore. Is that bad?" she asked biting her lower lip.

Aang shook his head. "No. Only you know what feels right to you. If you want to go with me, I'd love to have your company. Honestly, I could use all the help I can get." He smiled as he brushed his hand over her long hair, running his fingers through it at her waist.

"You've opened up so much for me. Shared so much with me. After traveling the world I can't go back to the life I left. I know my place is with you, to help you in any way I can."

Aang smiled and nodded in compliance. "Okay." Katara beamed from ear to ear, kissed him chastely and sat back down to finish her letter, which would now contain a somewhat different message.

--o--o--o--o--o--

"We shall now commence the fifth meeting of the United Council, on this, the twenty-first day of November." The attendees took their seats, turning their attention to Iroh, who was seated to the right of Aang. "We are honored to have in attendance today, Fire Lord Zuko," Iroh announced to the Council. Each member nodded in acknowledgement toward the young Fire Lord, seated on Aang's left. "He is to give a report on the state of affairs in the Fire Nation, as well as address any concerns pertaining to your respective provinces, provided they are presented reasonably and within his realm of authority. He will also offer some insight into the obstacle we've come across in regard to rumors of possible rebel forces residing in the Fire Nation colony of Nanzhao in the northwestern Earth Kingdom. Avatar Aang will weigh in on this issue as well, so we may work to resolve the matter quickly and quietly. Also, I am happy to report that Long Feng, along with the remaining known members of the Dai Li, were detained three days ago in a province east of the Si Wong Desert."

The members of the Council applauded this achievement, and when the conversations dissipated, Iroh opened the floor to discussion amongst the members of the Council. The comments and requests remained rational, and to Zuko's surprise, none of the leaders blamed him for the uprising in Nanzhao. It seemed the blame was placed upon his father, and that they regarded Zuko as the representation of a new mentality that was slowly taking hold. He was held in such high esteem due to the immense respect the Council had for his uncle, and therefore was consulted as a colleague rather than a former enemy. It came to light that Aang had spoken very favorably in previous meetings of the Fire Lord and his offering of assistance to end the war. Zuko cast a grateful nod toward his friend, only to be met with reverence from the young Avatar. The mood seemed to dim as the discussions turned toward the unrest in the Fire Nation colony, and all eyes fell upon the Avatar.

"What exactly will be your course of action, Avatar Aang? You can't exactly ride that conspicuous, flying pet of yours into such an environment. In his stead, you should conspire a small, stealth team to infiltrate the town and impede their actions," a loud, red-faced governor from the other end of the table stated.

"With all due respect Governor Shun, traveling with my bison would be our swiftest mode of travel. If this rebellion is to be deterred quickly, I feel he is our best option. As for this team you've suggested, my friends who are in attendance are more than capable of assisting me with this confrontation. We will leave at first light for Nanzhao."

Aang's eloquence as he spoke made Katara raise her eyebrows slightly in surprise as she looked at her folded hands upon the table. She almost giggled as she remembered Aang addressing the Earth King with "Your Earthiness" during their last meeting, but quickly stifled it. Her expression relaxed as she looked toward the governor further down the table.

"Foolishness and poppycock!" another man stated. The eyes of Iroh and the Gaang widened as they glared at the source of the outburst. "It is an absurdity to allow you to travel into this sort of situation with merely a band of teenagers. What do you expect to accomplish? This isn't a leisure trip for you and your friends, Avatar. My city of Xian is very near the town in question, and I won't have this rebellion spilling over into the streets of my province!"

"It would be wise for you to remember to whom you are speaking, Governor," Iroh cautioned. "Have you forgotten that this is the same group that brought an end to the war in the first place? They should all be given our deepest respect." He motioned toward each member of the group. "Katara is an acutely skilled water master and healer from the Southern Tribe, trained by Pakku, my Lotus brother. Her brother Sokka, who has attended each of our meetings as the Avatar's trusted strategic advisor, is an accomplished warrior and swordsman and son of Hakoda, chief of the Southern Tribe. Toph Bei Fong of Gaoling, a truly gifted master of earthbending, and Suki, leader of the esteemed Kyoshi Warriors. This is no rif-raf, Governor, I assure you."

"We all know very well what Avatar Aang is capable of, and I'll allow no such insult from you or anyone else Governor Chu," Earth King Kuei stated from the opposite end of the table. Governor Chu stood and bowed toward Aang, then Iroh.

"My apologies, Avatar Aang, Grand Master. I only wanted to reiterate what is at stake in Xian. I hope that you have taken this into consideration."

"Of course, Governor," Aang said. "The fragile state of affairs the world over is my charge. I can assure you that every precaution will be taken to ensure the well-being of the citizens of Xian," he said bowing his head to show his sincerity.

"Very well, Council. We shall adjourn here for lunch and meet back here in two hours' time," Iroh announced. All the members of the Council stood and bowed toward the table's center and made for the exits.

The group walked through the Palace's main doors and into the courtyard, with Aang and Katara following close behind, hand-in-hand. When they reached the sidewalk, Aang stopped.

"I'm sorry guys, I didn't mean to drag you into this…I should've asked first. I guess I just kind of, assumed you all would come with me."

Katara squeezed his hand. "You know I'll come with you," she said with a small grin. Aang gave a smile in return. He looked up as Sokka spoke.

"There's no way I'd let you fight this thing on your own," he said taking a step toward Aang and shaking his hand. "Besides, between the two of you, you'd never make it there. Your map-reading skills aren't all that great." Katara glared at him.

"You know I'm with you Twinkle Toes," Toph said from beside Sokka.

"He did say your group needed to be stealth right?" Sokka asked grabbing Suki's hand.

"Just so happens I've trained for years in the art of stealth," Suki added. "I think we've got you covered."

Aang looked at his friends, a broad smile upon his face. His gaze fell on Zuko when he placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I wish I could come along to help, but I have to get back to the Fire Nation. This uprising could be one of many. From experience I can tell you once these skirmishes start, they spread like wildfire. I have to be sure I'm in position to handle it if something comes up there."

Aang nodded in agreement. "Let us know if there's anything we can do to help you."

Zuko nodded once with a grin. "We won't be attending the last half of the meeting," he said taking hold of Mai's hand. "We're heading back to Uncle's apartment to get our things and then to get our airship ready for our departure."

Everyone hugged Zuko and Mai, wishing them a safe journey and additional congratulations, and Aang turned back to the rest of the Gaang.

"Thank you guys, so much. I'm so lucky to have all of your support."

"We'll show 'em what this _band of teenagers _is capable of," Sokka said with a smirk. "After lunch, that is. You comin?"

Aang shook his head, "actually, you guys go on, I want to catch up with Iroh before the meeting begins again." He looked at Katara and motioned with a nod, silently asking her if she was going with the rest of the group.

"No, I'll stay with you."

"Suit yourself," Sokka said waving a hand as they turned to go.

Aang and Katara walked back toward the palace, stopping at the summons of Governor Chu.

"Excuse me, Avatar Aang." He approached them and bowed with his hands folded in front of him.

Aang returned the gesture. "Governor."

"I wanted to apologize again for my outburst in the meeting. My intention was to neither insult you, your abilities, nor those of your friends."

"No offense taken, Governor. Believe me, I understand the pressure you are under to keep your constituents safe. We intend to act as quickly as possible and return order to Nanzhao and Xian."

The governor bowed again. "Thank you Avatar, Master Katara."

The two of them bowed as Governor Chu returned the meeting room.

Katara looked at Aang with admiration, but he couldn't place the emotion in her eyes. He grinned at her. "What are you thinking about?"

"I've just never heard you speak that way."

"What way?"

"I don't know. In the meeting earlier, and just now with the governor, you just sounded very…_articulate_."

Aang shrugged, "Guess it comes from thousands of past lives' experience in politics." He smiled sheepishly. "Did I overdo it?"

Katara shook her head with eyebrows raised, "no, no. Not at all. It's just that it's, well, impressive." Aang felt a swell of pride at her compliment, but it quickly dissipated when he spotted Iroh emerge from the meeting room.

"Come on," he said grabbing her hand. "General Iroh!" Aang called out as they approached.

"Aang, Katara," Iroh greeted with a nod.

"Zuko's told me you are an excellent teacher," Aang began as he fell into step next to him.

"Well, that all depends on the subject matter," Iroh said with a slight laugh in his voice. "How can I be of service to you?"

Aang stopped walking and Iroh stopped to face him. "I want to learn to make lightning."

--o--o--o--o--o--

"No handicaps this time, I'm afraid," Suki said with her eyes narrowed at her opponent. "Now come on, give me your best shot."

Sokka instantly began to whine. "_Sukiiii_, you know this isn't _my _sword, it's _yours_, and it's not like I can--"

"Nuh-uh. No handicaps." She took a fighting stance and beckoned him with two flicks of the fingers of her outstretched hand, a fan spread at the ready in the other. With a deep breath, Sokka assumed his fighting stance, sword poised overhead and left arm bent in front of him, two fingers pointed. His uncertainty was now replaced with sheer determination to improve his sparring record against his girlfriend. As it currently stood, he was four-and-six, not really impressive considering the six losses came at the hands of his beautiful and dangerous better half. He didn't dare call it losing to a girl any longer. She always tried to encourage him after a loss, insisting her increasing toughness toward him in their training together would sharpen his skills. She was impressed with his progressing talent with the sword, and consistently pressed Sokka to spar with her. This was partly due to the fact that they actually did need to keep their senses keen, but also because she loved admiring a shirtless Sokka with that determined gleam in his eye.

He started toward her, one eye on her fan, one on her feet. He lunged the sword along her left side, prompting her to spin away from his strike, bringing her fan swinging around at his eye level. Unnerved, Sokka ducked out of harm's way and used his sword to slash her belt, causing it to fall around her ankles. Suki ignored his ploy to distract her, taking advantage of his smug reaction with a swift roundhouse kick to his rear. He stumbled forward, his sword plunging into the ground, his face following shortly after. Sokka's disgraceful position presented Suki with a full on view of his bottom poised in the air, and yet another victory.

"Never divert your focus away from your opponent when you come up with a lucky strike," Suki said. She strolled over to the sword, drawing it from the soil. "I think that's a new record. You really make this too easy."

Sokka rolled over brushing dirt from his face. "Yeah, yeah, don't rub it in. I just couldn't keep my mind from picturing what it would look like if I cut the rest of your clothes away like that." He looked up at her with a smirk, despite having just fallen to four-and-seven.

Suki returned his smirk with a slightly mischievous look in her eyes. "How long before Aang and Katara get back?"

Sokka shrugged. "I don't know. Aang said he would be training with Iroh for the rest of the afternoon."

"You really could use a bath," she said. "Oh, darn. I have a rip in my shirt. Would you be a dear and help me out of it?"

Sokka stood and offered her his arm. "It would be my pleasure."

--o--o--o--o--o--

"What're they doin?" Toph asked from her place next to Katara. They were keeping a safe distance from the instruction taking place several yards away. The four of them had traveled far outside the outer wall of the city in order to keep the citizens safe from any stray lightning that might occur.

"I don't know. They've just been talking." Katara hadn't taken her eyes off of Aang the entire time she'd been sitting there. Though she knew she could trust Iroh completely, the thought of 'Aang' and 'lightning' made her stomach churn with anxiety.

"You know you don't have to be so worried," Toph said kicking back and resting on her elbows. "I think it's great that he wants to try to master lightning. He's got guts."

Katara looked down. "I guess it does show a lot of strength to want to master something that nearly killed him."

"I thought he did die," Toph said digging in her right ear.

Katara glared, and Toph felt it.

"What? It's the truth isn't it? If it wasn't for you--"

"Alright, Toph. You've made your point." Katara turned her attention back to Aang. Her eyebrows furrowed deeply as she remembered the events that took place that night. She gripped Aang's tunic tightly in her hands. She'd been holding it since he'd handed it to her before the training session had begun…when he'd told her not to look so worried. She couldn't help it. There was no Spirit Water this time, and she didn't want to think about what could go wrong. After she and Zuko had their own brush with lightning in the Fire Nation, it was something she'd rather not see again; but if Aang felt this was something he had to do, she wanted to be supportive. Appa grumbled lowly from behind her, nudging her. She turned to regard him, petting his nose. Everyone seemed to think she was overreacting, even Appa. She released the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, watching with a cautious eye as they stood and began Aang's training .

--o--o--o--o--o--

"I know you have had the opportunity to experience the power of lightning first hand," Iroh began. "Zuko said you had to use the redirection technique against my brother."

"I did. Zuko taught it to me just before the comet arrived. He said it was a technique you developed after studying waterbending."

Iroh nodded. "As I told my nephew, it is important to draw wisdom from different places, otherwise it becomes stale."

"That's what the monks always said," Aang said beaming. "That understanding others, and the other elements, is what makes our spirit whole."

"You are lucky to have grown up with the monks' wisdom. They prepared you well for your life's journey."

Aang's expression softened, no longer feeling such a sharp sting of grief at the mention of his previous time with the monks.

"Lightning is a pure expression of fire bending. To perform the technique requires peace of mind." Aang nodded slowly in response.

"I've given this lesson to Zuko, although, it did not yield pleasing results."

"What happened?"

"At the time, my nephew was still struggling with emotional turmoil. When he tried to make lightning, the energy would explode in his face, throwing him backward."

Aang winced. "Oh."

"His plight has since improved. If he feels he is ready to try again, I will teach him, just as I will teach you." Iroh stood and Aang followed suit. He listened to Iroh as he began to explain the process of forming lightning.

"As you well know, there is energy all around us. The energy is both yin and yang; positive energy and negative energy. With this technique, you separate these energies, creating an imbalance. The energy seeks to restore balance, and in the moment that the positive and negative energies come crashing back together, you provide release and guidance, creating lightning. You may want to take a few steps back." Aang backed up to watch from a safe distance. Iroh drew his right arm flush with his side, then extended two fingers and began to move his arm in a rotating motion, creating lightning. He repeated the movement with his left arm, the energy circling around his body.

Aang's eyes widened in astonishment. The technique sounded like it would be difficult, but Iroh made it look as simplistic as breathing. Iroh brought his hands together in front of him and surged forward with his right hand, the lightning blasting out into the distance, a clap of thunder roaring through the open plain.

From her position beside Appa, Katara gasped and leapt to her feet, her hand flying to her water skin.

"Relax, Sweetness. Aang's fine."

Katara watched as Iroh turned back around and Aang got into his stance. Her heart was pounding in her chest. "He wants him to try it. Aang's going to make lightning."

"Um, wasn't that kind of the point?" Toph asked sitting upright. Katara ignored her beginning to walk toward Aang. Iroh saw her and called out to her with a warning.

"No, Katara. You shouldn't come any closer. It's not safe."

Aang turned toward her, judging from her swift gait that she wasn't going to heed Iroh's cautioning. "Just a minute. Let me talk to her." Iroh nodded and Aang ran toward her.

"Hey," he said as he reached her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Are you sure you're going to be able to handle this?" She placed her hands on his forearms, looking into his eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe you should go home. You and Toph, take Appa and go to the apartment. I'll meet you there later."

"No. I'm not leaving you," she said stubbornly. Aang took her hand and lead her back over to where Toph and Appa were seated. "What if…what if you got burned? Or worse?"

"I'll be fine, Katara. I'm the one who's going to be directing the lightning this time. Not Azula, Not Ozai. It's not safe for you to come over to where I'm training. If something happened to you, I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

"Okay," Katara said nodding.

Aang looked at Toph. "Toph, if you have to hold her here--"

"Aye, aye, sir," Toph said cutting him off, saluting with two fingers.

Katara's expression teemed with disdain as her jaw dropped.

"It's for your safety Katara. _Please_." Aang turned and walked back to Iroh.

Katara flopped down crossing her arms over her chest.

"Oh, stop pouting."

"Says the conspirator," Katara humphed.

"What were you going to say to him anyway? That he should _give up_?"

"No! No…just…that maybe this isn't a good idea."

"That's not fair to him, Katara. He's the one that lived through it, not you. If he wants to face it and overcome it, you shouldn't stand in his way."

Toph's words struck a sensitive nerve, but she was right. "I did live through it, Toph. Maybe not in the same way he did, but I watched the lightning strike him. I saw his body convulsing. I caught him when he fell. You weren't there, Sokka wasn't there. Neither of you understands what that did to me. He was gone. I saw it in his eyes. I almost lost him." She looked over at Aang, who had assumed his stance again under Iroh's watchful eye.

"Aang was right, maybe we should go," Toph said standing.

"No," Katara said catching Toph's hand. "If he can do this…maybe it will help me move on too." Toph shrugged and sat.

"Good….Now breathe….Good," Iroh said as Aang went through the motions of the technique. "Concentrate on the positive and negative energies around you, and separating them. Remember, once you separate the energy, you do not command it. You are simply its humble guide. Are you ready?"

Without breaking his stance, breath or movement, Aang nodded. Iroh took a few steps back as Aang came back to center. Aang took a deep breath and moved his right arm to his side as Iroh had before. He extended two fingers, and the blue energy crackled at his figertips as he moved his arm in a circular motion. Katara placed a hand over her mouth, gasping.

"What does it look like?" Toph asked placing her hands on the ground trying to get a better look.

"He's doing it," was all Katara could manage.

Aang moved his left arm mimicking the motion of his right, and the energy began to surround his body. Behind him, Iroh sported an proud grin. Aang brought his hands together in front of him and lunged forward with his right hand extended. A bright flash of white-hot lightning streaked across the plain from Aang's fingers. Katara felt the thunder rumble in her chest as tears sprang to her eyes.

"He did it…he did it!" She jumped up and ran toward Aang.

"Very good Aang," Iroh said patting him on the back. "I don't think I've ever seen anyone get it right on the first try."

Aang turned toward Iroh beaming. He folded his hands and bowed deeply. "Thank you General Iroh." He heard Katara's footsteps rushing toward him just in time to avoid being tackled as she enveloped him in a tight hug. He used her momentum to lift her and spin her around twice before setting her down.

"I'm so proud of you," she whispered. "I'm so, _so_ proud of you."

"Way to go Twinkle Toes," Toph said approaching them. "I gotta admit, I'm pretty impressed. Way to face it head on."

"I've had a lot of help in that area," Aang said as he hugged Toph.

"I would like to work with you for a while longer if you can spare the time. Lightning is a dangerous element to control, and it takes much practice before it is mastered," Iroh said placing a hand on Aang's shoulder.

Katara nodded letting go of Aang's hand. "I think Toph and I are going to head home. We need to get our supplies ready for our trip."

Iroh nodded and walked to sit underneath the tree where he had set up his tea pot. The other three made their way over to Appa. Toph launched herself up into the saddle with a spire of rock as Katara and Aang turned toward one another. She embraced him, touching her cheek to his and placing a hand on the back of his head. He wrapped her tightly in his arms. They remained that way for a few moments until Katara moved slightly to place her forehead against his, bringing the hand that had rested at the back of his head to his cheek.

"Do you feel better now?" he asked quietly. She smiled, realeasing a breathy laugh.

"Yeah. I do." She backed away a little so she could look at him. "To see you in control of the lightning felt like...like…a huge release," she sighed. "I understand why you wanted to do this now."

"I know that it's been a source of your fear, so…thank you. Thank you for being here for me."

"I had to be. I told you I'm not going to let you face anything alone."

He smiled as he placed a hand to her cheek, bringing her lips to his. He kissed her gently, letting his lips linger on hers for a moment before withdrawing from her embrace.

"Ugh, are you two done yet?" Toph grumbled from Appa's saddle.

They laughed lightly at her dismay.

"I'll see you later," Aang said grinning.

Katara nodded with a smile. Aang gave her a boost onto Appa's head.

"Just be careful…please," she cautioned before they took off.

"Don't worry. I'm in good hands." Aang backed away from Appa as they lifted into the air, waving briefly before he went to join Iroh under the ginkgo tree.

--o--o--o--o--o--

The sun had long since disappeared over the western wall of Ba Sing Se when Aang finally returned home. He walked in to find the apartment quiet, save for Momo's purrs as he leapt to his shoulder.

"Hey buddy. Is everyone asleep?" Aang quietly asked scratching Momo's head. Momo scampered from his shoulder and through the door leading to the back porch. Aang followed him to find Katara curled up on a pillow next to the fire pit. He walked up behind her and rubbed her arm to wake her.

"Katara," he whispered.

Her eyes opened quickly and she blinked sleepily a couple of times before sitting up.

"Hey." She pulled him into a quick hug and released him. "How did it go?" She began rubbing her eyes.

"Great. Iroh said that he'd never seen anyone grasp that technique so quickly."

"Aang, that's amazing." She smiled warmly. "What you accomplished today took a lot of strength." She stood to stretch and looked at the fading fire in the pit. "I must've been asleep for a while. I was going to wait up for you." Aang smiled as he stood and Katara walked past him. "Did you eat? I managed to save you some dinner, but not without complaints from Sokka."

Aang laughed lightly. "Thanks. I'm starved." Katara walked over to spoon some stew into a bowl from a pot hanging within the kitchen's stone fireplace.

"All veggies tonight." She smirked, "also not without complaints from Sokka."

"I bet he ate more than his fair share though," Aang grinned as he lifted the bowl to his mouth. Katara giggled as she picked up random items of clothing from the common area.

"We need to get some rest if we're leaving at dawn. I've already packed your things for you." Katara dropped the linens into a basket. "You ready to do this?" she asked from the threshold of the hallway.

Aang nodded from behind his bowl. "Yep," he replied with a grin. He set his bowl into the wash bin. "Hey, Katara…"

"Yeah?" She lifted the basket and looked at him.

"Thanks again. For being there with me today." She smiled and set the basket down, walking over to him and embracing him firmly.

"I feel like there was some healing for us both today." She withdrew from him and held his hands. "So I should thank you too." She kissed his cheek and went back over to pick up the basket of clothes. "Goodnight."

"'Night." Aang smiled to himself as he walked to his room feeling accomplished and surprisingly relaxed, ready for whatever awaited them the following day.

--o--o--o--o--o--

"We should be nearing our landing point," Sokka said looking at his map. "Aang, Katara, you should probably go ahead and whip us up some cloud cover." They stood and began waving their arms in sweeping motions, summoning the air and water around them to gather as their shield. Once surrounded, Aang returned to his place at Appa's reins, slightly clearing a space so he could see. He tugged at the reins to draw Appa nearer to the clearing that was fast approaching. They landed silently in the meadow, surrounded on all sides; by trees to the north, west, and south, and by mountains to the east. Aang lead Appa toward a rocky overhang.

"Come on buddy. We'll be back for you soon," Aang coaxed motioning toward the spot intended to keep Appa from plain view. Appa grumbled in protest, but took his proposed position underneath the jutting rock formation anyway. Aang bended a third wall, leaving an opening so Appa wouldn't feel as if he were completely underground. He joined the group inside the tree line, crouching between Katara and Suki.

"What do you suggest?" Sokka asked nearly whispering. Aang's brow wrinkled in thought.

"A couple of us should go check it out first, to get an idea of what we're dealing with." He looked across the circle. "Toph, I think you and I should go first. I could really use your sense of _sight_. Plus, we'd be less likely to be detected because we can use earthbending as camouflage." Toph nodded in agreement.

"The rest of you stay here, and stay hidden. When we get back we can plan a course of action," Aang stated.

Katara put a hand on his shoulder. "You two be careful."

Aang gave her a reassuring grin, covering her hand with his.

"What if this doesn't go as planned?" Sokka asked. "What sign will you give if something goes wrong?"

"If something goes wrong, you'll know it," Aang replied as he and Toph stood. They took off through the trees along the meadow's edge.

"Should we follow, you know, just in case?" Suki asked Sokka with a worried look on her face.

"No. We risk everyone's safety if we're spotted. It would be best to lay low until they come back with a report."

Katara sat against a tree resting her head back, looking at the canopy above, and hoped this skirmish wasn't as violent as the council feared.

--o--o--o--o--o--

"Feel anything?" Aang whispered from behind Toph, whose hands were pressed to the ground. She nodded.

"Marching. A lot of men. I would say roughly, a couple hundred. Headed southwest."

"Marching? Where would they be marching to?" Aang's eyebrows shot up in realization. "Xian…they're headed toward Xian."

"You think we're too late?" Toph asked.

"I hope not. Let's try to get a better look." They formed a pocket in the earth and climbed into it, nearly closing it completely over their heads leaving an inconspicuous opening so they could see out. Using their bending, they moved the pocket within the earth, moving unseen toward the edge of the town. They looked on as the men in Fire Nation armor fell into formation, spears in hand. Their leader stood before them, speaking loudly.

"Today, we will claim the town of Xian in the name of Fire Lord Ozai, the true leader of our people. Today will be the last day that Governor Chu will allow his merchants to unfairly tax our citizens and block our essential trade routes. While _Fire Lord Zuko_ traipses the globe with his new bride-to-be, we have fallen by the wayside, our people allowed to go hungry, our economy faltering. Today, we take justice into our own hands!"

The assembled group cheered loudly as Aang looked on with wide eyes. "Maybe this is going to be a little more difficult than we thought."

* * *

It's so nice to finally get this posted! I had the chapter nearly complete when my sister came and kidnapped her computer. I hope I've succeeded in achieving a balance between including some fluff as well as building up some suspense. I've never written battle scene before, so this should be interesting. Chapters 7 and 8 will be like the Siege of the North or Day of Black Sun: two chapters, one story line. Chapter 8 won't take as long as 7 I promise ;) Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your reviews! I'm so flattered. Keep em comin! More than 100 reviews on 6 chapters!? You guys are awesome.

Continues in chapter 8, The World Over, part II.


	8. Ch 8The World Over, Part II

What can I say? I have been having some seriously stupid computer problems. My sister took the laptop right after Christmas, and I actually had this chapter written some time in February, but she didn't let me use the computer again until April. Anyway, turns out the entire top row of the keyboard doesn't work except for the t and y. Ugh. So, much of the last parts of the chapter were painstakingly copied and pasted unless the word processor was kind enough to help me out.

I hope you enjoy the chapter and that it is well-received. This chapter contains the first battle scene I've ever written, so I hope you like it. Give me some feedback if you feel compelled to do so. XD

I know it's been a while, so I recommend reading ch 7 again to refresh your memory. Anyways...On with ch 8--

* * *

Chapter 8. The World Over, Part II

They ran in silence back to the rendezvous point, the only sounds coming from the swishing of vegetation under their quickened steps. Toph held on tightly to Aang's hand, staying close to keep the twigs of the trees they were passing between from snapping back into her face.

"Slow down, Twinkle Toes I can hardly see a thing!" Toph shouted nearly breathless.

"Can't…no time. We have to get back to the others so we can stop the invasion," Aang answered hastily. His feelings at the moment hovered between urgency and disgust, fearing they had been lead into a situation that had been terribly misrepresented. It seemed Governor Chu had conveniently left out the fact that he had been levying an unfair taxation against the citizens of Nanzhao as well as blocking their trade routes. He'd caused the uprising to occur, and reported it in Council as if it had sprung up with no provocation. Aang's eyebrows knitted together as he saw the rest of the group coming into view. They leapt to their feet when Aang and Toph approached them.

"What is it? What happened?" Katara asked.

"We have to go. The rebellion is organizing and planning to march on Xian," Aang explained.

"But we don't have a plan!" Sokka exclaimed with his hands waving in the air.

"No time for that," Toph said. "Governor Bonehead forgot to mention that he'd been policing Nanzhao and taxing their people."

"He's stirred up this rebellion himself and complained to Council when he saw the citizens of Nanzhao were building an invasion force that he didn't think he could handle." Aang finished.

"_What_?" Katara fumed. "Did he actually think he was going to get away with that?"

"What will the Council say Aang?" Suki asked.

He shrugged. "That's something they'll have to deal with later. Right now we have to intercept the rebellion before it reaches Xian. Innocent people are in danger." Aang ran over to where Appa was being hidden. He bended the wall away. "Come on buddy, we have to go." Appa groaned and got to his feet.

"Do you think it's safe to take Appa?" Katara asked. "We'll be spotted."

"We don't have time to intercept them going on foot," Aang said as he leapt to his spot atop Appa's head. "We need to get ahead of them and stop them before they reach Xian." He offered a hand to help Katara up. The rest of the group climbed into the saddle. They became airborne and Katara placed a hand on Aang's shoulder.

"Are you okay?"

"If this is the way people are going to act, it seems like all we've done has been for nothing. How are we supposed to convince the people that the Council is for peace if it's corrupted?"

Katara looked downtrodden as she gazed into the distance. "What was Governor Chu thinking?"

Aang shook his head. "He was probably counting on us catching the men of Nanzhao after they marched on his city, then they would look like the bad guys. If they tried to explain their presence in Xian, we wouldn't have believed them, and if we hadn't overheard their leader, we may not have known the truth. Chu's responsible for the well-being of his people, and he put them in danger."

"What are you going to say to him, Aang?"

His brow wrinkled in frustration. "He may be dismissed from Council. I'm not sure. I'll have to talk with Iroh and the Earth king once this is settled." He pointed at the formation marching in the distance. "There they are. We should land here." He guided Appa down into the road a half mile ahead of the men. Everyone gathered in a circle and took a knee.

"So what's our best option? We can't exactly stand here like a roadblock. They'll just try to blast their way through us." Sokka said.

"Actually, Sokka, a roadblock is exactly what we'll need." Toph stood and left the circle. She walked a few feet away and stomped her right foot to the ground, thrust downward with both fists, and lifted both palms skyward, bringing with them a solid rock wall six feet high, three feet thick and spreading the width of the road.

"Impressive, Toph," Sokka said. "Now what?"

"Now we wait," Aang said, leaping to the top of the wall, kneeling with staff in hand.

--o--o--o--o--o--

"Sir, what's that up ahead?"

Lieutenant Ming squinted at the object in the distance. "It looks like a roadblock. I thought you said the earthbenders were unaware of our arrival!"

"They are, sir. But that doesn't look like a member of the Earth Kingdom army." They drew closer to the wall and their leader saw whom they were approaching.

"It's the Avatar!"

"The Avatar? What do we do sir?"

"We press on."

"Yes, sir." They stopped momentarily when Aang stood and called out to them, holding his hand up.

"Stop! You are entering a protected area!"

"Protected? That's laughable! Why exactly are you offering this town protection when it was our people who have been wronged?" The platoon's leader held his hand up to signal for them to cease marching as he continued to approach Aang.

"Aang, what should we do?" Katara called from behind the wall. He waved his hand behind him.

"Nothing yet. I'm going to go talk to him." He leapt from the wall and walked toward the leader. He stopped a few feet from the wall, holding his staff in a defensive position. "We aren't looking to fight you. I want to encourage you to turn back now before innocent people are hurt."

"The people you are _protecting _are not innocent," Lieutenant Ming called out, his steps drawing closer. Aang gripped his staff tighter.

"I know what Governor Chu has done, and I urge you to let us handle the situation and resolve what has taken place between your city and Xian."

"Us? You've brought Earth Kingdom soldiers have you? Well no matter, I have my own soldiers. We'll see who's prepared to fight for their cause." Lieutenant Ming took a fighting stance.

"There is no army! We don't intend to fight you, but I do intend to stop this invasion." Aang's face shifted to an expression of determination.

"Very well, Avatar. Have it your way!" Lieutenant Ming thrust one hand into the air and swept it forward, signaling for his troops to follow his lead.

"Let's go," Toph said, raising her arms and quickly lowering them, taking the wall back into the ground. They rushed forward to Aang's side, all assuming a fighting stance, their elements at the ready, Sokka and Suki with weapons drawn.

Lieutenant Ming rushed ahead, blasting a wave of fire toward the Gaang. Aang swept his staff in front of them, diverting the flames, then flicked his right hand twice, moving the earth the lieutenant was running on from underneath him, sending him face first into the dirt. The other firebenders came forth, some with their spears lowered, some with their hands ready to send flames in the direction of the group. Katara ran to Aang's side, using oversized water whips to move twenty of the men with spears to each side of the road, and Toph trapped them underneath domes of earth. The Gaang slowly made their way forward, Suki rushing to Lieutenant Ming and binding his hands with her belt.

"Looks like your coming with us, Lieutenant." She snatched him up by the arms and lead him away.

A group of firebenders shot simultaneously, sending a wall of fire toward Aang and Katara. Aang threw his arms up, sending a protective barrier up in front of them. When the flames dissipated on either side, he broke through the wall with his staff, sending a gale force air current toward the oncoming firebenders, knocking most of them from their feet. Katara pulled water from the surrounding plant life, using it to freeze them in place.

Some of the soldiers lowered their spears and charged forward, Sokka met a few of them with his sword, taking on three men by himself, his skilled movements sending all three to the ground crying out in pain.

"Guys a little help over here!" Sokka shouted as he came upon more fighters with spears.

"Coming Sokka!" Suki rushed to his side, fighting from a low position as Sokka took the high position. Together, they took out six men at once, and moved on to the next group that was approaching.

"Where's the lieutenant?!" Aang shouted above the din.

"He's over there with Appa!" Suki called back. Aang's eyes widened as he turned around to see the lieutenant bound and gagged, writhing on the ground.

"Whoa!" Aang said in surprise, just as the hot wave of a fire blast zipped overhead. He turned and swept his foot quickly underneath him twice, sending a ground-level wave of fire toward the incoming troops, causing them to stumble over each other. He then bended earthen shackles and cuffs around their ankles and wrists, and they moved on to the next wave.

"There aren't many left!" Toph shouted. "We can finish this!" Aang nodded once for acknowledgement and they pressed on.

"We have to separate them!" the lieutenant's second-in-command shouted to a small group of men. They split into four groups rushing forth in staggered increments. Each group pursued a member of the Gaang, forcing them to take on a group of firebenders on their own.

Toph stomped her feet, standing her ground as the others continued on. A group of firebenders approached her as a smirk grew on her face. She noted the position of each of the ten men who surrounded her, then with arms straight by her side, she pushed her palms outward, opening a hole in the earth and dropping into it. She closed the hole over her head. The firebenders looked at each other in confusion, as Toph emerged from the earth behind them, unnoticed. She lifted both forearms, moving them simultaneously to the left, then to the right in front of her, raising the ground on either side of the firebenders; then clapped her forearms together, using the earthen walls to slam the firebenders into each other, knocking them unconscious. She dusted the excess dirt from her shoulders and moved on to help her friends.

"Katara, stay beside me!" Aang called out. "They're trying to separate us!"

Katara ran toward him, standing back to back with him, the firebenders closing in. They both moved at once, drawing water from the air and slashing at their pursuers. Aang blasted some of them back with a sweep of his staff.

Sokka and Suki were making quick work of the few firebenders that pursued them; far fewer than those who were attacking Aang and Katara.

"Come on Suki! They need help!"

"Alright!" she replied sweeping her leg beneath a firebender, then kicking another square in the chest.

As Aang and Katara fought off the firebenders, some of them managed to work their way between the couple, effectively separating them. Aang blasted some of the men back with bursts of air and fire, while Katara worked with water whips sending men skipping over the dirt road. One of the men Aang had slammed to the ground looked up from his position, and seeing a clear shot on Katara, he took it. He blindsided her with a quick fire blast to her right arm. By the time she saw the flames approaching, she could not react quickly enough, and held her arm up to shield her face. She was knocked to the ground by the force of the energy, screaming as the fire burned her skin.

"Katara!" Aang cried out when he turned and saw her on the ground, her skin and clothes singed. His eyes widened and he took a deep breath. His eyes and tattoos glowed brightly as he summoned the energy of the past Avatars. "Enough!" he yelled, his voice masked with those of a thousand past lives. He slowly moved his right arm, lightning crackling at his fingertips. His left arm repeated the motion, and he sent a powerful streak of lightning over the heads of the firebenders. They all threw their hands up, and laid on the ground. Suki and Sokka rushed to Katara to help her, as Toph enclosed the remaining firebenders' wrists and ankles with earthen shackles. Aang rushed to Katara's side.

"Are you alright?" he asked, taking her hand.

She nodded and winced, holding her other arm away from her side. "I'm fine. I just need to get this wrapped until we can find some clean water."

"I got it," Suki said as she ran to retrieve their first aid supplies from Appa's saddle. Aang helped Katara to stand and the group made their way back to Appa, stepping over the defeated members of the Nanzhao platoon. He scooped her into his arms, leaping with air bending to the saddle and everyone boarded. Toph thrusted a spire of rock underneath the lieutenant, launching him into the saddle, wrenching a cry of surprise from him.

"Here, let me see," Suki said to Katara. She raised her arm slightly and Suki carefully cut her burned sleeve away. She moved the rest of it from the affected area by rolling it up over her shoulder. "It's not that bad. I'll get it bandaged up for you." Suki smeared an ointment over the burned flesh, took a roll of gauze and began wrapping it around Katara's injured arm. Once they were safely airborne, Aang climbed back into the saddle to check on Katara.

"I'm sorry," he said, kneeling next to her and taking her other hand. She leaned toward him, touching her forehead to his.

"It wasn't your fault. There were so many of them. I think we're lucky that this was the only injury."

"Does it hurt?" he asked leaning over to take a closer look. She shook her head.

"It's okay. When we get wherever we're going I'll find someplace to heal it. Don't worry about it," she said with a weak smile. Aang smiled back and kissed her cheek. He looked at the lieutenant.

"This wasn't necessary," Aang said with a firm voice. "We offered to help your town. This accomplished nothing!"

Sokka removed the lieutenant's gag so he could respond.

"We were doing what we had to do. No one was looking out for us. The new _Fire Lord_ is off traveling the world with his betrothed and we were left to fend for ourselves."

"Fire Lord Zuko didn't neglect this issue intentionally. He was in Ba Sing Se for a meeting of the United Council," Aang retorted. "He was giving a status report on the affairs in the Fire Nation. The uprising in Nanzhao was one of the main reasons the Council was called to order. The governor of Xian was adamant about getting help to stop this from happening."

"Governor Chu bit off more than he could _chew_, eh?" Lieutenant Ming chuckled. "Typical. What a coward."

"Lieutenant, there is a system in place to handle situations like this. If you don't reach out and let someone know you are having a problem, there is no way that the Council can react. I receive scrolls from all over the world. If you had sent a request for help, we would have offered you assistance." Aang said.

"Yeah, right. Why would the United Council, of which Governor Chu is a member, offer help to a Fire Nation colony?"

"Because you are citizens of the world like the rest of us, Lieutenant. It is our duty. I have an unbiased view of the relationships between the nations, so I personally approve or disapprove each request. This situation would have been given top priority, despite the fact that Governor Chu holds a seat on the Council."

"Aang, we're nearing Xian," Sokka said pointing into the distance.

"What?! You're turning me over to the people of Xian?!" Lieutenant Ming shouted.

"No. Katara needs clean water to heal the wound she received from your men. We're going to seek out the forces that are blocking your trade routes and take care of that problem. Then, we're taking you with us to Ba Sing Se to stand trial along with Governor Chu," Aang said coolly as he climbed back to Appa's head. "When we land, we need to send word to Ba Sing Se for the Council to meet this evening. We have some issues to discuss."

--o--o--o--o--o--

Aang threw open the doors of the meeting room with Lieutenant Ming in tow. "Governor Chu!" he shouted. "Do you care to explain the situation in Nanzhao once again for the Council?" He stood at the head of the table with his fists clinched at his side and his brow furrowed in anger.

"Aang, what is going on? And who is this man?" Iroh asked motioning toward the lieutenant.

"This is Lieutenant Ming, governor of Nanzhao. He was leading the invasion force to Xian. They were rebelling to avenge the interests of their people against an unfair taxation and disruption of their trade routes by Governor Chu's men." Aang hastily threw a chair out from the table for the lieutenant to sit in. Lieutenant Ming cautiously took his seat and Aang pointed a finger at Governor Chu.

"You fed us to the rat-wolves, Chu! You were the cause of all of this, yet you didn't mention your taxation of the citizens of Nanzhao. They were without food and supplies and felt they had no choice but to retaliate. How dare you come and sit as an honorary member of this Council, go behind everyone's back like this, and then demand our help?! There are other people in the Earth Kingdom who really need our assistance. We postponed our journey through the Earth Kingdom to take care of your situation!"

Iroh stood and placed a hand on Aang's shoulder, to try and calm him. Aang softened his expression slightly and took his seat. He took a deep breath and turned to Lieutenant Ming. "There was one thing that disturbed me concerning your reprisal, Lieutenant Ming," Aang said in a calmer voice. "When my friend and I infiltrated your city, we overheard you say were going to claim Xian in the name of Ozai. What was that about?"

A collective gasp came from the Council. Ming's eyes widened as he felt the weight of the stares of the men in attendance.

"It was only to inspire the men. We are not loyal to Ozai."

"One doesn't make such a strong claim if it is unfounded," Iroh said with a finger in the air.

"Our anger was obviously directed at the wrong target. We felt as if Fire Lord Zuko neglected our plight. We heard he was traveling with his betrothed and I suppose it was the last straw. I swear I was only trying to inspire my men to fight with emotion. We know that Ozai was a terrible dictator who wanted to control the world. We want nothing of the sort. We only want to live in peace. Governor Chu over here disrupted that peace when he tried to control our town with his own forces."

"Watch it, Ming," Governor Chu cautioned, his eyes narrowed.

"Is this true, Governor Chu?" Iroh asked.

"It is true General Iroh," Aang replied in his place. "My friends and I went to Xian, and the forces blocking the trade routes are being extradited to Ba Sing Se as we speak."

"I trust that everyone made it home safely," Iroh directed at Aang.

"We did, but not before Katara was burned by one of Ming's men."

"Is she alright?"

Aang nodded. "She was able to partially heal the burns in Xian. She'll be fine."

"Why don't you go home and let us handle these two," Iroh suggested motioning toward Ming and Chu. Aang nodded and stood from his chair.

Governor Chu stood and called out to Aang. "Avatar Aang! I apologize. I--"

"I don't want to hear any more of your apologies, Chu. Good night."

--o--o--o--o--o--

"Hey."

Katara looked up from her seat on the side of the bathtub. She had water gloved over her hand, moving its glow up and down her arm. "Hi, Aang."

"How is your arm?" He sat across from her, worry etched into his features. She smiled slightly.

"It's fine really. I just don't want it to leave a scar." She let the water fall from her hand and examined her arm. Aang scooted closer to her, taking her healed hand. He kissed her fingers and the back of her hand; kissed her forearm, her upper arm, then her shoulder. She looked down at him with a soft smile, placing her other hand on his cheek. He met her eyes, and she brought her lips to his, kissing him briefly.

"Thank you. It's all better now." Her cheeks were lightly tinged pink.

"I'm glad. I feel terrible," Aang said enclosing her hand between both of his, caressing the back of it with his thumbs. Katara blinked, a look of confusion came over her face.

"Why?"

"I should've used the Avatar State sooner instead of risking everyone's safety. I could have ended the battle before any of you got involved."

"Aang," Katara began, "don't blame yourself. We wanted to help. Just because you have the Avatar State doesn't mean you have to face a troop of rebellious soldiers on your own. We'll face every challenge together like we always have," she smiled reassuringly as he looked at her with an unconvincing grin.

"Well, there's no scar. That's a good thing," he added hopefully.

"Exactly. No harm done."

He beamed as they both stood, Katara still holding his hand and leading him from the bath room to her room. She sat on her bed and began to remove her shoes. "So how did it go in the meeting?"

Aang shrugged. "I kind of lost my temper with Governor Chu and Iroh sent me home."

Katara raised her eyebrows. "That bad?"

"Not really. I think he could just tell we'd had a stressful day. He just told me they would handle it."

"Good. I agree that you've done enough for today. We'll be spending plenty of time mediating over the next few months anyway."

Aang sat next to her on the bed and folded his arms over his knees. "I'm just glad you're okay. I didn't see the flames hit you, I only saw you on the ground. I thought my heart was going to stop until I saw you move."

She half-smiled and looped her arm through his. "I really hope we don't have to go through that again. I thought we were done fighting."

"Optimistically, we might be. Realistically, we're probably not. I'm hoping we'll resolve a lot of the uncertainty of the people while we're traveling. I don't want to spend the rest of my life fighting."

"Oh?" she grinned, sensing an opportunity to tease him. She moved to sit cross-legged on her bed. "How exactly _would _you like to spend the rest of your life?" Katara asked sweetly. The question was innocent enough, but left Aang looking at her with a goofy smile and a deep blush. He began to scratch the back of his neck nervously.

"Well, um..."

"Katara, dinner's ready!" Suki came through the door of Katara's room, stopping when she saw the two of them. "Oh sorry guys, I didn't realize that you were back Aang." She stood there awkwardly for a moment. "So...yeah, dinner." She quickly excused herself.

The couple shared a shy smile before going to join the group for dinner; Aang unaware that the memory of Aunt Wu's prediction was dancing through Katara's mind. They both laughed as Sokka's voice rang out down the hallway.

"Come on guys! Suki won't let anyone eat until you get in here!"

--o--o--o--o--o--

The dawn of Katara's fifteenth birthday broke over the eastern wall of Ba Sing Se in glorious fashion. The blue canvas of sky was splashed with hues of pink, purple and orange. Katara stirred when sunlight entered her window and turned underneath her blankets. She stretched, yawned and flung her covers off, eager to start the day. She shivered from the chilly morning air and pulled her robe on before walking out into the hallway. She smiled as she saw Aang's door was already open, and proceeded into the common area of their home. Upon opening the door from the hallway, she stopped in her tracks and gasped.

The table was set with serving bowls and plates and dishes of various fruits, a small pot of oatmeal, and a jar of honey. The centerpiece of lucky bamboo was surrounded by small white candles that were burning with a steady flame. Katara was still admiring the spread when Aang came through the kitchen door holding a pot of tea and two cups. They made eye contact and Aang smiled broadly.

"Good morning. You hungry?"

"Good morning." She walked toward the table and sat on one of the cushions there. "Did you do all of this?"

Aang nodded, smile still present and poured tea for them both. "I wasn't sure how you celebrated your birthday back home…" he paused as he went back into the kitchen and emerged with a vase containing three orchids. "…but I wanted to do something to honor you on your special day." He blushed slightly as he held out the vase. "Happy birthday."

"Oh," Katara breathed. She took the flowers, admiring their delicate purple petals. She blushed in turn, set the vase on the table, and enveloped Aang in a warm embrace. "Thank you so much," she said in a whisper. "I love it." She kissed his cheek and they sat next to each other. "What does the bamboo represent?"

"It's for luck. Sort of a good omen for the coming year."

"That's really thoughtful of you Aang."

Aang smiled as he place sliced fruit on Katara's plate. He drizzled honey over it and then spooned oatmeal into a bowl for her. Katara took a bite of a honey-covered moon peach and watched as he filled his own plate and bowl. He noticed her watching and a half grin spread over his lips. She leaned over and lightly kissed his lips, and Aang delighted in the realization that her lips tasted of peaches and honey.

"Best birthday ever," she said beaming.

"Really? It's only breakfast."

Katara nodded and stirred some honey into her tea. "No one has ever done anything like this for me before. Back home the tribe celebrated together with a feast around a bonfire…" she trailed off, feeling nostalgic. "That is--before the men left. Life really wasn't normal after that. Actually, life hasn't been normal for quite some time. So, this is really nice. Thank you."

Aang covered her hand with his, then their moment was interrupted by the loud thud of a door opening. Sokka shuffled in sleepily rubbing his eyes. He plopped down on one of the cushions and Katara eyed him with an eyebrow raised.

"Thanks for making breakfast guys. A little fancy for it to be so early but--Hey! Where's the food?!" Sokka asked as he looked into the nearly empty pot that had contained the oatmeal and the empty platters. "You ate all of it?!"

"I made breakfast for Katara," Aang said matter-of-factly with a smile.

"For just us. You'll have to get your own." Katara smirked into her cup.

"What did _you _do to get special treatment? I like oatmeal too, you know." Sokka stood and disappeared into the kitchen. Moments later, they heard his steps bounding back into the common area as he half-tackled Katara. "Happy birthday!" he said exuberantly as he squished his cheek against hers. "Sorry, it's still a little early for me." He stood and stretched. "I need to get an early start on finalizing our trip schedule. You're sure you've sorted all of those requests?"

"Yep. Those that we gave you," Aang said as he finished off his breakfast.

Sokka's eyes bugged. "What does _that_ mean?"

"We've gotten more since we went over them together. We'll just have to bring them with us and go through them as we travel."

Sokka's exasperation was evident. "How can you be so chipper about that? The extra work will throw our schedule completely off!"

"Because we're finally going to start doing some good…offering some real help to people. The schedule shouldn't be so much about when we get somewhere, but more about in what order we visit each place so we're not constantly zig-zagging back and forth across the Earth Kingdom." Aang stood and gathered his and Katara's breakfast dishes. "Relax, Sokka. I think things will take care of themselves from here on out."

--o--o--o--o--o--

Zuko walked down the pale yellow corridor of the hospital, sunlight pouring through the high, grated windows, casting lattice-like shadows on the wall. His chest felt constricted, his mind swirled with questions, his conscience conflicted. As the door to his sister's room drew nearer, the more the urge to turn back screamed at him. He couldn't be sure why she'd requested to see him, but he did know that it wouldn't turn out well. He received regular reports concerning her condition, yet this was his first time visiting her since her detainment. The desire to see her in a weakened state of mental well-being simply as not there. His relationship with Azula was never a loving one, but something in his spirit still ached to think of her being ill. Perhaps consideration for others was a quality instilled by his mother. It had surfaced in his past from time to time, but nowadays it seemed to be a more prominent facet of his character.

His footsteps stalled outside the heavy, metal door of Azula's room. A brow quirked as he swore he heard talking and giggling coming from inside.

"Ugh," he grumbled, running a hand over his face. "Let's get this over with."

Using the keys he acquired from the hospital administrator, he unlocked the locks of the door, inhaling deeply as he slid it open. Immediately Zuko was taken aback by the interior he encountered.

The walls bore sporadic scorch marks and several drawings of the Fire Nation insignia and phoenixes. Azula was restrained in a chair near the window, wrists bound to the armrests and ankles bound to the legs. A wry smile crept over her lips as Zuko entered the room.

"Hello, brother."

"Why did you want to see me?"

"Ha! Always to the point. Has nothing but your title changed?"

"A lot has changed. Not that it would interest you."

"You'd be surprised." She made eye contact with Zuko, her eyes narrowing. "I heard about your engagement. I suppose congratulations are in order."

"Save it." Zuko dropped the keys into his pocket and leaned against the wall, careful to keep a safe distance. "You never cared about my relationship with Mai. How did you hear about that anyway?"

"A princess has her ways." She pulled against the leather straps binding her wrists and huffed. "Surely you're not so naive as to think all people in the Fire Nation support you. You're endangering their way of life."

"What are you talking about?"

Azula sighed. "It's not important. But I thought it only fair to warn you to watch your back." A devilish smirk played on her lips before she turned her attention back to the window.

"You're mad. You're not making any sense."

"Think what you want. Your denial will only leave you vulnerable," Azula preened in her usual condescending tone. She took a deep breath and looked at her lap. "By the way, how is your friend, the Avatar these days? I hear he's rubbing elbows with all the world's highest political leaders. Oh…" she paused as the window captured her gaze again. "I hear his _girlfriend _is quite respected. Imagine what could happen if the wrong person heard how she treated Fire Nation royalty."

"They're both alive and well; no thanks to you. Leave them out of this. If you have a problem, I'm right here, let's hear it," Zuko said clenching his fists.

"So dramatic," Azula sighed. She strained against her wrist restraints. "It would be smart for you to keep an eye on your constituents. I'm locked in this cage. What harm could I do?"

"I'm not stupid. I know what I'm doing. The people are happy Father's not in power anymore. They're free…which is more than I can say for either of you," Zuko spat, his eyes narrowed.

"Ouch, Zu-Zu. That really hurts," Azula sneered.

"Your every move is being documented. It would be in your best interest to keep your thoughts to yourself."

"Whatever. Go back to your perfect life and planning your perfect wedding. This was a waste of time."

"Indeed." Zuko snatched the door open to leave. "Don't do anything stupid, Azula. You know the consequences for making threats against political leaders."

"And you know the consequences for turning your back on me."

Zuko slammed Azula's door shut and began locking the locks.

"Nice seeing you, Zu-Zu."

Zuko glared into Azula's wild eyes before storming off. When he reached the administrator's desk, he tossed the keys onto it's surface with a resounding clang.

"I want a list of every visitor she's had since she arrived here. Security is to be doubled, inside and _outside _her room." Enraged, he turned and stalked out of the office, barely registering the timid, "yes, Lord Zuko" from the administrator's assistant.

--o--o--o--o--o--

Aang had just finished loading the supplies for their journey when he sensed Toph approaching him. He turned to find her standing with her head down and hands folded in front of her--a posture that was very un-Toph like.

"Toph, what's wrong?"

"I got a letter from my parents." Aang recoiled, anticipating what she would say next.

"Katara read it for me. They want to see me--er, well, they want to see all of us, really. I know Sokka's freaking out about his schedule but--"

"Of course we'll go to Gaoling." Aang said knowingly and placing a hand on her shoulder.

"You don't mind?"

"Not at all." They both turned to walk back toward the apartment. "We have to go that way anyway. According to Sokka's plans we're going to start in the southern Earth Kingdom and work our way north. I'm actually kind of curious to see how your parents react to your homecoming. I know you said they want to see all of us, but even if they didn't I'd want us to be there in your defense when you confronted them. Just in case."

"I think I could handle them on my own." Toph smirked. "But I appreciate that." She began to ponder the possibility of her father becoming completely irate, since the last they'd heard he had accused Aang of kidnapping her. She hoped her previous letter was well-received. There was no mention of it in their message to her, and Katara didn't seem to have an urgent tone as she read. Toph couldn't help but recall a similar instance in which she'd received a letter from her 'mother' only to be captured. She shook the unpleasant thought away, glad that her small group of friends would be accompanying her this time. Momo leaped to Aangs's shoulder when they entered the house.

"You guys ready?" Aang called out from the common area. Everyone began to gather their carry-on supplies in preparation for their departure. "We're making an extra stop so we need to get going." Sokka's eyes widened as he ripped the schedule from his Earth Kingdom man-purse.

"Another stop?!" He unrolled the scroll, scrutinizing it with his tongue protruding thoughtfully. Katara rolled her eyes as she grabbed her waterskin and slipped it over her shoulder.

"Where exactly do you want to go? If you want to get through all of these towns within the next _five years_ we really need to--"

"Gaoling." Aang said as he took the schedule and rolled it back up. "We're taking Toph to see her parents."

"Oh," Sokka said sheepishly. "Sorry." He scratched his left arm, slightly coloring. "That's a good thing, right?" His brow then furrowed. "Are you going home for good Toph?"

"No way. You guys might be annoying, but I'd rather be here than go back to living the way my parents would like me to." A grin found it's way onto Toph's stubborn features. "There's no way I could ever be free if I go back home. I don't really want to go, but I want to set things right with my dad. If that's okay with you, schedule master." She crossed her arms over her chest defiantly.

"Fine. But no extra stops along the way. No offense, Aang, but I don't want to spend the rest of my life rebuilding dusty old Earth Kingdom villages." Katara and Aang shared a knowing glance.

"So if we're done here let's go before Sokka gets hungry again," Suki said while ruffling Sokka's hair. The group laughed as they filed out the door of their apartment.

--o--o--o--o--o--

The sun hung low on the horizon as the Gaang set up camp, bringing an end to their third day of traveling. They would reach Gaoling by mid-morning, and may have actually made it into town at a decent hour this evening, but Toph had requested an extra night to ready herself to face her parents.

As the group encircled the camp fire for dinner, Toph nervously picked at her rice. Everyone finished eating and Suki cleaned up as Katara sat down next to Toph, gently nudging her with her shoulder.

"You okay, Toph?" she asked quietly. Toph shrugged. "You've hardly touched your food."

"Don't have much of an appetite. I feel sick." Toph set her bowl on the ground, defeated by her nerves.

"What are you afraid of? It's just your parents," Sokka drawled lazily as he stretched out on his bedroll.

"Sokka, you almost threw up when I took you to meet your dad at Chameleon Bay," Aang interjected, drawing a snort from Toph.

"That was different. I hadn't seen dad in two years." Sokka sat up, looking across the fire at Aang. "I had something to prove."

Toph lowered her sightless gaze to the ground. "So do I."

* * *

Feedback rules. XD Continues in ch 9-- Out From the Ashes


	9. Ch 9Out From the Ashes

F a hiatus, I'm back! :) And I'm really excited too cuz I can finally move forward with these ideas that have been bugging the mess out of me. I want to try to get most of this story done before the movie comes out, cuz I have a feeling that after the film, the nature of fan fics for this fandom may change. I could be wrong, of course. But I know you guys have seen the preview and I have to say…doesn't Aang's tattoo look freakin awesome? It's so elaborate on his back and oh so cool. Anyways. I guess I'll give a short run down of previous goings-on in the story. I know it's been almost a freakin year since I updated and that's just slightly ridiculous. My bad. Moving on.

Once again, I claim no ownership of Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of the characters portrayed herein. This is strictly a not-for-profit work of fanfiction.

* * *

Previously...

"There was one thing that disturbed me concerning your reprisal, Lieutenant Ming," Aang said in a calmer voice. "When my friend and I infiltrated your city, we overheard you say were going to claim Xian in the name of Ozai. What was that about?"

A collective gasp came from the Council. Ming's eyes widened as he felt the weight of the stares of the men in attendance.

"It was only to inspire the men. We are not loyal to Ozai."

"One doesn't make such a strong claim if it is unfounded," Iroh said with a finger in the air.

"Our anger was obviously directed at the wrong target. We felt as if Fire Lord Zuko neglected our plight. We heard he was traveling with his betrothed and I suppose it was the last straw. I swear I was only trying to inspire my men to fight with emotion. We know that Ozai was a terrible dictator who wanted to control the world. We want nothing of the sort. We only want to live in peace. Governor Chu over here disrupted that peace when he tried to control our town with his own forces."

--o--o--o--o--o--

"Hello, brother."

"Why did you want to see me?"

"Ha! Always to the point. Has nothing but your title changed?"

"A lot has changed. Not that it would interest you."

"You'd be surprised." She made eye contact with Zuko, her eyes narrowing. "I heard about your engagement. I suppose congratulations are in order."

"Save it." Zuko dropped the keys into his pocket and leaned against the wall, careful to keep a safe distance. "You never cared about my relationship with Mai. How did you hear about that anyway?"

"A princess has her ways." She pulled against the leather straps binding her wrists and huffed. "Surely you're not so naive as to think all people in the Fire Nation support you. You're endangering their way of life."

"What are you talking about?"

Azula sighed. "It's not important. But I thought it only fair to warn you to watch your back."

--o--o--o--o--o--

"You guys ready?" Aang called out from the common area. Everyone began to gather their carry-on supplies in preparation for their departure. "We're making an extra stop so we need to get going." Sokka's eyes widened as he ripped the schedule from his Earth Kingdom man-purse.

"Another stop?!" He unrolled the scroll, scrutinizing it with his tongue protruding thoughtfully. Katara rolled her eyes as she grabbed her waterskin and slipped it over her shoulder.

"Where exactly do you want to go? If you want to get through all of these towns within the next _five years_ we really need to--"

"Gaoling." Aang said as he took the schedule and rolled it back up. "We're taking Toph to see her parents."

--o--o--o--o--o--

"You okay, Toph?" Katara asked quietly. Toph shrugged. "You've hardly touched your food."

"Don't have much of an appetite. I feel sick." Toph set her bowl on the ground, defeated by her nerves.

"What are you afraid of? It's just your parents," Sokka drawled lazily as he stretched out on his bedroll.

"Sokka, you almost threw up when I took you to meet your dad at Chameleon Bay," Aang interjected, drawing a snort from Toph.

"That was different. I hadn't seen dad in two years." Sokka sat up, looking across the fire at Aang. "I had something to prove."

Toph lowered her sightless gaze to the ground. "So do I."

* * *

Chapter 9: Out From the Ashes

Toph awoke with a huff just as the sun was starting to appear over the eastern horizon. The night had brought a restless sleep, and she felt as if she hadn't slept at all. She lowered her earth tent and stretched, sensing the faint vibrations of her still-sleeping companions. She rolled to her feet, shuffling past the smoldering campfire toward the edge of a grassy cliff. Toph settled herself there, feet dangling, and sighed. She wondered what awaited her at home: a happy, tearful reunion, or, well…she didn't really want to consider the alternative. It could be bad for everyone involved.

She kicked the rocky underside of her grassy perch with her heel, driving several small stones up through the grass, thumping them one by one, listening to the click-clack that resounded as they made contact with the mountainside below. She exhaled sharply, blowing her bangs upward. Sensing a familiar sleepy shuffle of feet behind her, she slouched and hung her head.

"What's up, Snoozles?"

"Not me, that's for sure," Sokka said through a yawn, taking a seat beside her. "Whatcha doin up so early?"

Toph shrugged. "No sense in laying there when I can't go back to sleep. It just drives me crazy."

Sokka nodded in understanding. The two sat in silence for a moment, enjoying the warmth of the sun as it greeted them over the distant mountaintops.

"What were you thinking when Aang took you to see your dad?" Toph asked suddenly.

"I was nervous," Sokka replied evenly. "I was scared he'd be disappointed that I'd left our tribe to fend for themselves. I was afraid he wouldn't be proud of me…proud of what I was doing, what I'd become. But it turned out I was wrong. He told me what I was doing was an honorable mission, and that he was very proud of me. I guess it's only natural to want to please your parents." He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Your parents will be proud, Toph. You'll see."

"Hm," Toph countered. "Your dad and my dad are totally different. Your dad is a warrior, Sokka. Mine is…well, a businessman who is hung up on honor, prestige and money. They're driven by very different morals and values. My parents will probably freak out if I tell them I was on the front lines of the war."

"_If_ you tell them? Why would you _not_ tell them? Toph, you're incredible! Without you we all may not have lived to see our mission through to the end. The role you played was crucial! You taught the Avatar earthbending, you saved us on more than one occasion: from that freaky train contraption, from Combustion Man--"

"I get it, Sokka, but I don't know if my parents will." Toph closed her eyes and exhaled. "What if it all goes wrong? What if they're angry and they make you all leave? I don't want to stay here, and I don't want there to be any trouble for you guys." Toph's ears perked as the rest of the group began to stir.

"Don't worry. We'll all be there for you. Besides, Aang has a way with reasoning with people."

Toph smiled half-heartedly. "I hope you're right."

--o—o—o—o—o—

"I've been expecting good news. It would be best if you didn't disappoint me."

"Yes, Princess. I believe you'll be pleased." A shadowy figure spoke through a hole in the wall that separated the two cells. Azula pressed the person further.

"_Okay_. So spit it out!"

"We've got a mole in the Fire Lord's Royal Guard. He was quite easy to convince, once his family was threatened."

"Good," Azula sneered. "And news of the Resistance?'

"It's mounting, Princess. Growing in number daily. There are many who still think the Prince is weak, that he's too greatly influenced by your cowardly Uncle."

"They're absolutely right. I can't allow this country to be ruled by cowards and feeble swine." Azula drummed her fingers on the pale yellow tile of the floor. "What of the Avatar and his waterbending wench?"

"Nothing yet, your Highness. Word travels slowly from our brothers in the Earth Kingdom. Last we heard the Avatar quelled the advances being made to claim hold of provinces neighboring the northwestern Fire Nation colonies."

Azula's breath came forward in a forceful huff of smoke. "Ming is an idiot. Serves him right to be caught and imprisoned. He deserves worse, he's a failure."

"A replacement is on the way to Nanzhao, Princess. I think you will be satisfied."

"Who?"

"General Bujing, Princess."

Azula smiled wickedly. "Excellent."

--o—o—o—o—o—

Aang steered Appa in lazy circles around Gaoling. The sun was high, making the city below glitter like a mystical place out of a storybook.

"Alright, Aang," Toph stated, splitting the silence. "Let's do this before I lose my nerve."

Aang directed Appa to land in a clearing just behind the Bei Fong estate. The group dismounted and began to walk toward the main gate with Toph leading the way. She carefully scrutinized every vibration she felt. The last thing she wanted was for her friends to get into trouble because of her. Sensing Toph's unsure steps, Aang trotted to the front of the group to walk next to her.

"It'll be okay, Toph. We won't let you face this alone."

Toph's mouth formed a half smile. "I know. I just keep wondering what they'll say…of what I'll say to convince them that I did the right thing. That I was doing my part in helping you to restore balance to the world."

Aang smiled as Toph came to a stop outside the towering gate. She took a deep breath and held her head up high. Grabbing hold of the knocker, she tapped it against the wooden door bearing the emblem of the flying boar. The eyehole slid open and two emerald eyes stared down at them.

"Who goes there? State your business."

Toph took a couple steps back so the guard could see her.

"Toph!" the guard exclaimed. "Let them in," he directed toward another guard.

The gate swung open to reveal three of the estate guards. They let Toph pass, and then stepped in front of the rest of the group.

"Toph goes alone. The rest of you wait here," demanded one of them.

"No way. They're my friends," Toph said shoving the guards aside. "My parents insisted they make the journey with me so they could again make their acquaintance."

The guards exchanged glances and then stepped aside. "Very well," said the tallest of the three. "If you insist they can be trusted, Miss."

Toph smiled. "With my life."

The group left the guards to their post and began to walk toward the manor, Toph's pulse increasing with every step. She felt as if the path leading to the main house grew longer as they continued on. When the door finally loomed overhead, Toph hesitated slightly before opening the door. The Bei Fong's butler rushed forth with eyes wide, clearly not expecting anyone to barge in the way that they had. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes as if her were seeing things.

"Toph! Your parents will be elated!"

"Where are they?" she asked.

"In the garden taking their afternoon tea. This way," the butler turned to lead them toward the rear of the mansion. The group followed silently. The butler stopped short of the double doors leading out into the courtyard.

"It's so good to have you home, Miss," he said with a small bow, and turned to return to his duties, leaving them alone. Toph smiled slightly and stepped through the threshold, back into the sunshine. The Gaang followed her out, and then Toph turned to them holding her hand up in a halting gesture.

"Maybe you guys should wait here."

They all looked at each other in confusion.

"Are you sure, Toph?" Katara inquired.

Toph nodded. "Yeah. Let me try to soften them up first." She walked away from the group and into the garden as they sat down on the back steps of the manor.

Toph could sense her parents' vibrations. She approached them slowly, picking up on their quiet conversation. She could tell their backs were turned to her. Stopping behind them, she spoke.

"Hi Dad. Hi Mom."

The only sounds she heard were her mother's gasp and the breaking of porcelain as her father dropped his cup of tea.

--o—o—o—o—o—

"Lord Zuko, Admiral Jee is on his way in to see you. He says he has information regarding Princess Azula."

Zuko tensed, his breath hitching. "Thank you," he replied simply. A thousand possibilities of what the news would be flashed through his mind. He knew Azula was getting her information from someone. But who? The security according to his informants was tight; no one had been seen going in to or out of her cell apart from chaperoned attendants. Even the surveillance outside her cell in recent weeks had yielded no new intelligence. Still, rumors of a growing resistance were swirling among the residents of the capital city.

As Admiral Jee's steps echoed outside the royal chamber, Zuko rose from his seat to properly greet his trusted advisor. His eyes rose to the crimson velvet canopy that ran the breadth of the royal platform. The velvet was adorned with intricate golden embellishment and was bound by golden cording to the floor-to-ceiling mahogany pillars at the four corners of the dais. The platform itself was a slab of obsidian, upon which rested a cushion covered with the same crushed velvet that decorated the canopy. The bright morning sunlight beamed through the windows on the eastern side of the room, warming the deep brown, hardwood flooring and giving the room a rosy glow. A breeze blew gently through the open windows, stirring the crimson drapes and drawing Zuko out of his thoughts.

Admiral Jee entered the throne room, stopping just inside the door and kneeling in respect to his Fire Lord.

"Lord Zuko."

"Cap—ahem, _Admiral_ Jee." Zuko smiled sheepishly as Jee rose and approached him. "I apologize. It may take some time to adjust to your new title. You've been 'Captain' Jee as long as I can remember." Zuko stepped down from the platform meeting his captain-turned-friend with a firm handshake.

"No offense taken," Jee grinned as he released Zuko's hand. "I come with news of the Princess, and I'm afraid it isn't good."

Zuko lowered himself back onto his cushion, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. "I was afraid of that. What have you learned?" Attendants entered the room placing a cushion for Jee on the floor in front of the royal platform as well as serving tea to them both. Jee waited for the servants to exit the room before answering in a lowered tone of voice.

"It has been determined that a resistance is mounting under her command."

"_Her_ command?" Zuko asked, dumbfounded. "How is that even possible? She is under around the clock surveillance!"

"There is a source on the inside relaying intelligence. We haven't determined who as of yet, but all of the hospital staff is under investigation."

Zuko scowled, looking at his hands, which were resting upon his knees. How could this be happening right under their noses? Every precaution had been taken to ensure the staff would not be deterred by Azula's particular brand of manipulation. Even her neighboring patients were found to be completely mad. Certainly they weren't competent enough to intercept and relay intelligence of this sort. Zuko drummed his fingers.

_Unless_…

"Of course," Zuko muttered.

"Lord Zuko?" Jee queried.

"You're wasting your time investigating the staff."

"You're sure?"

"It isn't the hospital staff. That would be too obvious. Somehow, the resistance has planted someone…someone who has feigned mental illness to gain access to Azula. She's getting the information from the inside, but not from the source we thought." Zuko shook his head. "I requested a list of all the visitors she has received, and not surprisingly, she's received none. We need to get information on the visitors of her neighbors."

Jee stood. "Right away, Lord Zuko."

"Have them search their cells as well."

Jee nodded and turned on his heel heading for the door.

When Jee was gone, Zuko summoned a member of his council.

"Have the Guard put on alert and arrange an escort. I'm going to visit the Princess." As the councilman rushed out of the throne room, Zuko clenched his fists, anger and determination swirling in his golden eyes.

--o—o—o—o—o—

Poppy Bei Fong sprung up from her seat and enveloped Toph in a fierce hug.

"My darling daughter! Thank the Spirits you're okay!" Toph wrapped her arms around her mother's waist.

"Of course I'm okay," Toph remarked. "I was traveling with the _Avatar_, remember?"

"We still worried about you," Lao Bei Fong commented as he stood and took his turn hugging his daughter. "When you left like you did what were we supposed to think?"

"That I can take care of myself," Toph retorted pulling out of her father's embrace. "That I have a great group of friends who are like family and would stop at nothing to protect me."

"Even so," Lao conceded, "there is no excuse for running away and leaving us with no explanation of your whereabouts."

"There was no excuse for you sending those idiots after me and charging that Aang kidnapped me!" Toph shouted with her fists clenched.

"Well now," her mother interrupted, stepping between the two. "Did your friends make the journey with you, Toph?"

"That depends." Toph folded her arms over her chest. "Are they still charged with kidnapping?"

"No." Her father folded his hands into his oversized sleeves, representative of his attempt at self-control. "I'm sorry, Toph, but the anger I felt when you left is still somewhat fresh." He cleared his throat loudly. Toph raised her eyebrow at his apology. One thing she had never heard her father do was apologize for his actions. He was just too proud.

"We heard about your role in ending the war; how you fought at the Avatar's side. We were shocked, to say the least, but we were also very proud."

"Really?" Toph's astonishment was evident in her voice. "So…you _accept_ the fact that I'm a great earthbender and not a helpless little girl that has to be guarded twenty-four hours a day?"

"You're still our little girl, Toph," her mother noted with a small smile.

"And we're still quite curious to learn more about your astounding abilities. To have trained the Avatar himself for battle is a very high honor, Toph," her father stated. "I don't suppose it would do any good to have guards protecting you when your earthbending abilities clearly eclipse those of the guards." Upon seeing Toph's proud smile, a rare smile found it's way onto his own face. "Come now," he said placing an arm around her shoulders. "Let's invite your friends to lunch shall we? We can't very well disregard the Avatar's presence in our own home. He and his group are our honored guests."

They approached the group and Aang was the first to stand. He clasped his hands in front of him and bowed deeply.

"Mr. Bei Fong."

When Lao didn't respond, Aang looked up nervously to find a hand extended toward him. He straightened up, squaring his shoulders and firmly shook the hand of Toph's father.

"Avatar Aang," Lao began, "welcome again to our home--the rest of you as well." He released Aang's hand and bowed his head showing respect. "Please allow me to apologize for my behavior upon our last meeting." He rose to face Aang. "At the time I was quite stunned to discover many things were not as I perceived them to be."

"Apology accepted. But I think I should be apologizing to you, sir. It _was_ wrong to take off with Toph when I knew how you felt about it." Aang shifted uncomfortably. "I honestly felt like I didn't have a choice. I just knew that Toph was supposed to be my earthbending teacher and we also knew it would be hard to convince you of that."

The butler opened the door for them and Lao motioned for the Gaang to enter. "You're right about that," he said as he entered the mansion. "I doubt you would understand my position, being that you don't have any children, much less a daughter who is blind."

Toph scoffed behind him and her mother placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Perhaps someday you will be able to empathize with me," he continued. "It is difficult to let go, to accept that perhaps your child can get along without your help; especially under the impression, as we were, that our daughter could not do much on her own." They all filed into the sitting room with Lao and Poppy taking their seats at the front of the room and the kids seating themselves on the low couches across from them. Lao continued when he got comfortable.

"As the reports rolled in, we were continually surprised by Toph's abilities; and when we heard that she could bend metal from Master Yu, we had no choice but to accept that our daughter truly does have amazing talents. We could only hope that our sacrificing her custody to your charge did aid you in your endeavors."

"Oh, yes, sir," Aang replied enthusiastically. "Toph's special way of earthbending not only gave us an advantage as a group, but in the battle against Fire Lord, or, the _former_ Fire Lord Ozai, her technique of sensing vibrations actually saved my life."

"Is that so?" Poppy asked.

"Yes, ma'am," Aang responded.

Lao and Poppy shared a proud glance as the butler came in to announce lunch.

"Please, join us for lunch and regale us with the events of your travels," Toph's father requested. Aang and Katara smiled at one another.

"We'd be happy to," Aang said as the group stood to follow Toph's parents to the formal dining room.

--o—o—o—o—o—

"Princess!" a harsh whisper suddenly sounded through the pipeline that tied Azula to the outside world. "_Princess_!" the call came again, more emphatically.

"What is it?" Azula hissed in reply.

"They're coming, Princess! They're going to--"

There was no time for her informant to finish. Without warning, Azula's door flew open and she was instantaneously surrounded by royal guards. They snatched her up from the floor and placed her on her knees in the center of the room. They bound her hands behind her and bound her ankles.

"What is the meaning of this?!" she shouted in alarm. "You'd better have a good reason for treating a member of the royal family this way!" She struggled against them until she heard quick, confident footsteps outside her room. She looked up to meet the eyes of her adversary.

"Pretty clever, Azula," Zuko said smoothly as he stepped inside her room, flanked by additional guards who had Azula's informant in custody. "I expected you to cause trouble during your stay here, but instigating a resistance? What made you think you would get away with this?"

"You have no proof, Zuko. You think you're _so smart_ but you know nothing. It's not me you're after. No. You have much bigger problems than me. I told you before; I'm locked inside this cell. There isn't much I can do from in here."

"You're lying," Zuko snapped, "and I have all the information I need to have you convicted of treason in the high courts." The guards holding the informant pushed her to the guards holding Azula. They set to bounding her in the same manner.

"You wouldn't dare put me on trial!" Azula nearly laughed. "You have no idea how many people think you're too weak to rule the most powerful country in the world! Any assembly of judges you pull together would never convict me of treason. I guarantee it!"

"I guess I'll have to take manners into my own hands, then," Zuko stated. He looked to the guards holding his sister. "Escorts are waiting to transfer her to the Boiling Rock. The warden is aware of our special arrangement for the Princess. As for the informant…she is to be housed in the prison closest to the palace. The information she holds will be valuable in planning to counteract this resistance."

Additional guards came in with wheeled chairs containing restraints to strap the two women into.

"You've got to be joking!" Azula yelled. "I'm not insane! You will _not_ cart me around in a lunatic's pushcart!"

"It's for the protection of the guards. As long as you still have the ability to firebend, they are to keep you fully restrained," her brother explained.

"You can't deny me a trial if you're charging me with treason, Zuko. This is a civilized nation with a structured justice system. You'll be viewed as a tyrant!"

"Was I offered a trial when Father decided to challenge me to an Agni Kai? Was I given the luxury of letting someone argue my case? No!" Azula looked around frantically as the guards roughly strapped her into the chair. "When the Fire Lord deems it necessary, he can make a lawful decision without the interference of the courts. Besides, this is a family matter, and in this particular situation, I am the judge who will decide your fate. My verdict? _Guilty._"

A guard came forward with a mask and placed it over Azula's face. She screamed in panic when they began to buckle it around her head.

"Get this thing off of me!" She struggled and bucked in the chair as best she could against the restraints. "You will pay for this! You pig! All of you! When Father finds out he'll have you assassinated! Mark my words!"

"He's not going to find out, Azula; and I'm not sure he would care even if he did find out. Father is a broken man without his firebending. He never cared about me or you, or anyone else for that matter; and if you don't change your ways, you could be headed for the same fate he's suffered."

"So it is true," Azula wondered aloud. Her eyes suddenly widened. "If you order the Avatar to steal my bending away from me, so help me Zuko, you will be sorry! You'd better not let that airbending, rat-weasel touch me!" She twisted and writhed in the seat, and began to sound like she was hyperventilating.

Zuko didn't intend to have Aang take away Azula's bending, but her thinking it was a possibility may be enough to scare her straight for at least a reasonable amount of time so that he and the revamped army could put an end to the resistance. She had always used fear to control people and get what she wanted, and now Zuko was using her own tactics against her. She regarded fear as weakness, and to have her feel afraid and vulnerable was vital, to keep her from attempting to manipulate any guards to contact the existing members of the resistance.

Zuko turned to head out of the room. He stopped and looked back to his sister, and could see tears streaming from her eyes and disappearing beneath the mask that covered her nose and mouth. If looks were deadly, he would surely be deceased. The hate that radiated from her amber eyes filled the room with a palpable, negative aura. He felt a slight twinge of guilt while taking in her appearance, but if he was to be taken seriously by her or these people who were planning to challenge his rule, he had to make an example out of the movement's mastermind; even if the mastermind was his own sister. He looked away, unable to stand her intense stare any longer.

"Don't worry, Azula. The staff of the Boiling Rock has been instructed to treat you well. I'm sure you will find your time there…_enlightening._" With that, he left the room, the hysterical cries of his sister fading as each step carried him further away from her, and toward possibly the greatest challenge he would face yet.

--o—o—o—o—o—

Katara sat in the window seat in her upstairs bedroom with the windows open letting the light from the full moon illuminate the room. The décor of her sleeping quarters was done in a soothing mix of blues and greens. Walls of celadon complemented carpeting of jade. The dark, cherry wood furniture stood out against the soft pallet, with each tabletop holding a gold-trimmed porcelain vase containing delicate white orchids. The bed's comforter and the cushion she sat upon were a matching light turquoise in color. The large, four-post bed was draped with a sheer, white material that was gathered with silver twine around the posts. The same white material was used for the wispy window draperies that drifted gently in the winter night's breeze.

Despite the calming atmosphere of the room, she felt too energized to sleep, and was reflecting on the day's events. Toph's parents seemed delighted to have her home, and strangely, Toph seemed delighted to be home. They had spent the afternoon and into the early evening talking with Toph's parents and describing their adventures since she'd left home in the spring. After the Bei Fongs had retired to their wing of the manor for the night, the Gaang had lounged together in Toph's room reminiscing and laughing about their experiences, how far they had all progressed in their bending, and in Sokka's case, swordsmanship, how nice it was to not have the stress of constant impending doom, and how glad they were that they had all become such close friends.

The group had since said their 'good-nights' a couple of hours ago. Katara was restless tonight, though, and judging by the size and brightness of the full moon, it was no surprise. She vaguely registered some light tapping at her door and turned her attention from the moon toward it, listening to see if it would happen again or if she was imagining things. When three more taps came she slowly got up from the window seat to investigate. She put her ear to it and could hear footsteps moving away. She opened the door quickly and looked out to find Aang walking down the hallway.

"Aang!" she whispered loudly. "What are you doing?"

He quickly turned around and smiled brightly at her. "Taking a walk," his hushed reply came as nonchalantly as if it were the middle of the afternoon rather than the middle of the night. "I'm going to see Appa. Do you wanna come?"

"Don't you know what time it is?" she asked with a smirk.

He smiled and shook his head in a negative response as he came closer to her. "Were you sleeping?" he whispered. "I just thought that you would be awake too because--"

"The moon," she finished for him, nodding. "You can feel that too, huh?" Aang nodded his reply.

"So…do you wanna walk with me?" Aang asked, offering her his hand.

Katara looked at his hand and then back to his eyes, and she couldn't help but give in.

"Okay," she conceded. "Just let me get my cloak." She took his hand and pulled him into her room and closed the door.

"Wow, they gave you a nice room," Aang said looking around. "My room doesn't have a window seat," he commented as he sat himself down on the cushion there. "I had a window seat in my room back at the Temple. I used to sit in it and watch the moon all the time." He glanced up at the large, white orb that seemed to hang right above the trees. "I guess I felt a connection to it even back before I knew I was the Avatar. I just didn't understand why then."

Katara fastened her cloak around her shoulders and joined him on the cushion. "I guess it's kind of nice that it affects you the same way it does me. At least I know I'll always have someone to sit up with when I can't sleep." She smiled and grabbed Aang's hand. "Come on, let's go."

Aang stood, but didn't move toward the door as she did. "Why go the long way?"

Katara looked at him confusedly. "What do you mean?"

"Well, outside is right here. Why walk all the way through the house when we can just go out the window?"

"Because not all of us can airbend, smart guy," Katara smirked.

"I'll carry you down," Aang said climbing up onto the windowsill. He extended his hand to her and she took it, meeting his eyes as she climbed onto the seat. "Just hold on to me," he said, taking her arms and placing them around his neck.

"Okay," she whispered, tightening her hold on him. She blushed at being so close to him. Even though they were officially a 'couple', she was still getting used to this kind of contact. They stood there for a moment just breathing and holding each other, and just when she was thinking he might kiss her, he leapt out the window. Being caught off guard, Katara yelped and gripped his shirt tightly in her hands. It wasn't as if they hadn't done this before, and she felt a little sheepish for seeming so surprised.

Aang giggled a little when they reached the ground. "You okay?"

Katara pushed him away playfully. "Warn me first, next time, okay?" She pulled her hood up over her head. "It's cold tonight. Aren't you cold?" she asked looping her arm around Aang's as they began to walk together.

"No, not really. I always feel warm when I'm around you anyway." He smiled his contagious smile and Katara couldn't help but return it.

"Where did you learn to be so charming?" she asked, blushing.

"I'm not trying to be, I'm just telling the truth," he replied grinning. "I don't know anything about charming girls. It's not exactly something the monks taught us. I've even asked your brother for advice on how to act around a girl."

"Ha!" Katara laughed. "I'm sure that was real informative."

"Not really," Aang chuckled. "He told me to act like I didn't care one way or the other."

"Right, like he knows what he's talking about. Suki thinks his lack of tact is cute. Lucky for him, I guess."

The two laughed and continued toward the stables, walking in silence and enjoying each other's company.

"The moon looks so much closer tonight doesn't it?" Katara noted at length.

"Mm-hmm," Aang agreed. "It feels like it too." He glanced up at the bright celestial light. "I feel all kinds of weird energies when the solstice is near too, so tonight I've been feeling all this buzzing…like, there's all this activity going on around me only I can't see it."

"No wonder you couldn't sleep," she remarked with a smile. She pondered a thought for a moment, realizing just how close the solstice was. "It's been a year, you know."

Aang raised an eyebrow, and then made the connection. "It has, hasn't it?" He smiled at his girlfriend. "A lot has changed in a year, huh?"

"Yes. It has…and all because of you."

"Not just because of me," Aang corrected. "If it wasn't for you I wouldn't even be here." They walked around to the back of the stables where Appa was staying. "I could still be in the ice, or worse I could be--"

"Don't say it," Katara cut in. "Please, just…don't. I'm just glad I had the ability to save you in Ba Sing Se. I don't like thinking about it so much."

"I know," Aang said, stopping and turning her toward him. "But it reminds me every day to show you how grateful I am that you're always there for me…I wouldn't have made it very far if I didn't have you with me. I just want you to know that…to know how much you mean to me."

Katara smiled and hugged him close. He wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled into her hair.

"I do know," she said, still holding him. "I also know my life wouldn't be the same without you, Aang." They loosened their hold on one another but didn't let go. "I hope I never have to find out what that's like."

Aang smiled and softly kissed her lips, then stated the simple truth.

"You won't."

He released her and walked toward his bison, leaving her to her reveries and blushing in the moonlight.

--o—o—o—o—o—

Toph awoke much more energized than she had the morning before. She sprang from her oversized bed and stretched, yawning a loud and boisterous yawn.

"'Morning, Momo," she said as she scratched the snoozing lemur between his ears. He let out a contented purr and stretched his lean body across the pillow. He leapt to the floor and followed Toph out into the corridor. She made her way to the living room to find her parents already enjoying their morning tea.

"Good morning, Toph," her father stated. "We were just talking about you."

"I knew my ears were burning for a reason," she smirked as she poured herself a cup of ginseng tea.

Her dad smiled. "We were discussing an opportunity that has arisen for you. Now that you've returned home we were hopeful that you might consider it."

Toph felt her stomach drop. "What kind of opportunity?" she asked cautiously.

"Well," Lao began, "Master Yu seems to think that you would make a fine assistant instructor at his earthbending academy."

Toph snorted. "Assistant? He's the one who should be the assistant."

"Now, Toph," her mother reprimanded, "it _is_ his school, after all. You can't very well go in there and take over his lessons. He believes you have great potential."

"What does he know about potential, Mom? He's a big, dumb hippo-platypus with no instinct. All he would do is learn my style of earthbending, steal my technique and sell it as his own."

"She does have a point, dear," Toph's father said to her wide-eyed mother. "The man _is_ somewhat of a charlatan."

"I'd be better off opening my own school. At least then I could make my _own_ money off my _own_ technique," Toph said. She lifted her cup to her lips and listened for her parents' reaction.

"Hmm," her father pondered over her statement. "That's not a bad idea, Toph. If I gave you the means to get started, how would you feel about going into business for yourself?"

"Um…Dad…that sounds great and all, but I haven't even turned thirteen yet, I don't think I'm ready to become a businesswoman; and besides, I was going to stay with the group. They still have a lot of work to do and--"

"You mean you're leaving?" her mother asked, shocked. "Toph, we just got you to come home, how is it that we're supposed to let you go again so soon?"

"I was afraid of this," Lao said shaking his head.

"Look, it's not what you think," Toph said quickly, trying to calm the waters before they became turbulent. "I won't be staying away forever, just for a little while. We have this huge pile of requests for Aang's help with rebuilding towns, homes and roads and Aang can't do it alone. I just thought that I could help them for a while." She hung her head slightly and grinned. "Then after that maybe I can come back home and open my own earthbending school." She looked up and waited for her parents to say something. After what felt like several minutes of silence, her father gave her the answer she'd been waiting for.

"Very well," he stated. "So long as we have your word that you will check in periodically to let us know you are okay."

Toph sprang to her feet and fist-pumped. "Yes!" then she calmed herself and formally bowed toward her father, showing her appreciation. "I mean, yes, you have my word." She walked toward her parents and hugged them both. Who knew, that out from the ashes of the relationship she thought she'd obliterated, a new and more genuine relationship with her parents would arise? Toph felt both happy and relieved and maybe just a little bit liberated. She felt a trust forming that the three of them had never shared, and the future seemed to hold no limits.

"Now," Lao said as Toph returned to her seat, "are any of you missing an annoying messenger bird? He delivered a message from you over the summer and we can't seem to get him to leave."

* * *

Woo hoo! The return of Hawky! Don't expect him to come of any significance. We just never learned what happened to Sokka's beloved bird and it seemed like a good place to toss that in. Perhaps a reunion in the next chapter, perhaps not. We shall see. Let me know if you think I flubbed this latest installment or not. Much appreciated, and many sincere promises that the next chapter will not be ten months away. sheesh... Thanks to all of you who dropped me a line during my hiatus, it kept my inspriation alive. ;)


	10. Ch 10Frailty

Yeah, did I say I wanted to get a lot of this story done before the movie came out? That's funny. What was I thinking? I'm headed to the lake for the holiday weekend and wanted to get this posted before we leave. It seems a little dark and moody to me. Eh, must be because they're right in the middle of winter. Ch. 11 will pick up with springtime, and ch. 12 summer, which will also contain the one-year anniversary of the war's end. That's the plan anyway. We'll see what happens. Anyways. Enjoy the holiday (those of you in the States) and enjoy the chapter. And go see The Last Airbender! I'm totally going next week after we get back from vacation. I can't wait! It looks so awesome. ^_^ On with Ch. 10!

* * *

Chapter 10 – Frailty

Beneath a cloak of pitch darkness, a small vessel carrying a vengeful nemesis slowly drew nearer to the western shore of the Earth Kingdom and the city of Nanzhao. Aboard, General Bujing stood stiffly at attention, his eyes focused on his prize and a terrible scowl upon his face. He wore a maroon cloak over his Fire Nation armor, which billowed in the winter wind and concealed his identity from any prying eyes that may be secretly observing their approach. Ever wary, he scanned the coast analytically for any sign of the Avatar or Earth Kingdom soldiers. The city seemed peaceful, with only a few torches burning along the many piers that dotted the shoreline. In the distance to the north, a brighter fire burned in the lanthorn of an earthen lighthouse, alerting approaching ships to the unforgiving rocky shore.

Their procession to this point had gone undetected, and the General was silently grateful for the absence of the moon's light this night. The less trouble his company had infiltrating Nanzhao, the easier it would be to slip in and assume a position of power overnight without revolt from the citizens. Bujing slightly growled at the thought of Fire Nation citizens wanting to become free of Fire Nation rule and live governed by the Earth King's laws. It was disgusting. To think, people who shared his own heritage would turn their back on their homeland to submissively blend into Earth Kingdom culture. Then again, his homeland was in the same danger of losing the prominence their forefathers had worked so diligently to create. How foolish the Prince was to believe he was a proper representative of their culture. Bujing would never recognize such a weak individual as his Fire Lord. The underground resistance was growing in number, mostly among the working class of Fire Nation citizens who had made their living supplying the military with weapons, vehicles and armor. With the war over, there was currently no work to be found, and the people were stewing in their anger while going hungry and being unable to provide for their families.

With the current turmoil in the Fire Nation, Bujing knew it would be an effortless undertaking to convince many more disgruntled citizens that Zuko was not a strong leader, but rather an incapable fool who needed the assistance a female waterbender to even secure the throne. Additionally, with the Princess's rumored weakened mental capacity, it may also be effortless to convince the people that she was no capable ruler either, leaving the throne vacant once the Prince was dealt with. With the fall of the royal family even he could assume the throne, and this thought made him grin fiendishly. 'Fire Lord Bujing' did have a nice ring to it.

When their boat reached a concealed jetty of rocks just south of the city's main port, Bujing disembarked and walked confidently toward the wall surrounding the small city. In the days of Azulon, this area had been known as the Hu Xin provinces, but had been disbanded when Earth Kingdom citizens had been driven south of Xian and Gar Sai. Azulon's army had taken control of every town immediately north and south of the Pohuai Stronghold, their fertile, newfound territory bordered by Chameleon Bay to the east and mountains to the north and south. The Fire Nation had held control of it ever since, and Bujing did not intend to see this land returned so easily to the Earth King. Emboldened by the Avatar's victory, the Earth King's army was attempting to push Fire Nation governors out of Fire Nation territory to replace them with new governors of Earth Kingdom decent. This would never do, and Bujing intended to snuff out anyone who challenged his authority.

Approaching the gate leading into Nanzhao, Bujing spotted two Earth Kingdom guards standing watch. They were both young, new recruits no doubt, and Bujing grinned. He walked swiftly toward them, and the two guards looked at each other confusedly. In the time it took for them to make eye contact with one another and begin to again focus their attention on him, Bujing was between them, his fists punching out to either side, branding a deadly, fiery strike into the temple of each of the young men. They fell dead at his feet, and Bujing removed his cloak and dropped it carelessly on top of their bodies. He continued through the city, he and his company catching the Earth Kingdom soldiers by surprise and laying waste to them all with ease. Within an hour, Nanzhao had been liberated, and his scouts reported no additional soldiers within the city's perimeter.

"Excellent work, men," Bujing complimented. "This may turn out to be easier than I thought." He set his sights on the city's governmental center, where the new governor was likely still asleep in the adjoining residence, and smirked. "One last pest to remove, and control of this city will be officially granted to its rightful governor." He ordered some of his men to blast away the door of the residence with firebending, and he entered the home flanked by half a dozen fire nation soldiers, quickly moving to stand menacingly over the scared-stiff governor, who was indeed still in his bed.

"Change of plans," Bujing stated with almost a hint of laughter in his voice. "You have been ordered to step down." The Earth Kingdom man sat up and demanded an explanation.

"By whom? This town is no longer under Fire Nation rule! You will be arrested for trespassing!" The stout man leapt from his bed and bolted for the window where he screamed for assistance.

"Guards! Guards!"

Bujing finally let his chuckle escape.

"Pathetic. Men, you know what to do." He waved his hand nonchalantly and exited the room, closing the door so as not to be bothered by the man's desperate screams.

-o—o—o—o—o—

Mid-winter snow fell upon Aang and Toph in a small farming town due south of Omashu. Because of their southern location, the snow was slushy and wet, making earthbending difficult and making Toph irritable.

"I'm tired of this road already," she complained to Aang as they pressed on toward the town's outskirts. "Why on Earth would anyone destroy a road anyway? That's so stupid!"

In spite of her ill demeanor, Aang chuckled. "It's not so bad, Toph," he consoled. "We're nearly done, and Katara promised to have lunch ready when we get back."

"She promised to have _your_ lunch ready," Toph grumbled, throwing her arms back with extra fervor to emphasize her frustration. The ground in front of them responded harshly, throwing wet snow and mud into both their faces. Aang scowled and wiped the slush from his face.

"I'm pretty sure she meant for everyone." Aang imitated her last move and soaked Toph with the frigid mud.

"Aang, I swear, you do _not_ want to match wits with me today." She stomped her foot, clearing the gunk from her clothes.

"You're right. I don't," he answered tartly, cleaning the mud from his own clothes. "I'd rather get this road done and spend the rest of the day in front of a fire." He went back to his work and could practically hear her next words before they were spoken.

"What do you have to complain about? At least you're wearing shoes!" she said, holding up her reddened toes for Aang to inspect.

"My shoes are wet, Toph. I'm no better off than you are."

"What kind of Earth Kingdom village has _no_ earth benders anyway? It's so ironic it's hilarious." She forced some earth forth, clearing several yards away at once.

"Toph, please," Aang pleaded as he bended the last of the mud out of the way, joining the newly repaired road with the existing one outside of town.

"Ugh, thank the Spirits," she huffed. She stretched her arms over her head and yawned loudly. "I don't even know why I agreed to help you today. You're the Avatar, you could have done this on your own in like five minutes."

"'Cuz you're my friend," Aang said, uncharacteristically punching Toph in the arm. She immediately punched him back, almost knocking him over. He laughed, causing Toph to smirk. "I don't want to summon the Avatar State unless I have to, Toph."

"Whatever," Toph said as she forcefully opened the door of the small house they were sharing. Sokka and Suki quickly pushed away from each other on one of the beds and Sokka began whistling conspicuously. Aang eyed them with an incredulous raise of an eyebrow and then scanned the room.

"Where's Katara?" he asked.

"Um, where's _lunch_?" Toph demanded.

"She went with this woman about an hour ago," Suki explained. "The lady said her husband needed a healer and Katara said she'd be back soon."

"Um, where's lunch?" Toph repeated.

"What woman?" Aang asked. "Why didn't one of you go with her?"

"I offered," Sokka said, "but she insisted she would be right back."

Aang frowned. Toph grumbled.

"Lunch is in the steamers on the stove top, Toph," Suki chuckled. Sokka went over to the stove, grabbing the bamboo baskets and bringing them back to the table. Toph snatched the top off the first one and deeply inhaled the aroma of pork dumplings.

"Thank you, Katara!" She sat down and began filling her bowl.

"She made vegetable dumplings for you, Aang," Suki said as she joined Toph and Sokka at the table.

"What woman?" Aang repeated. "Did you recognize her?"

"Katara's fine," Sokka ensured. "She can take care of herself."

Aang sat by the fire and began removing his soggy boots and socks.

"Did you get the road done?" Suki asked.

"Yup," Toph said with a mouthful. "We should be done here, right Sokka?"

"Should be," he said, popping a dumpling into his mouth and swallowing it whole. "The barns and equipment sheds were done yesterday, and now that the road is done, these people should be good to go for their spring crops."

"That's good news," Aang said, a little unenthusiastically. "Two towns down, about a hundred to go."

"Easy with the optimism there buddy," Toph said before taking another bite. Aang sighed as the front door of the one-room house opened and Katara entered, shaking snow from her wet parka.

"There she is Aang," Toph teased. "In one piece." Aang furrowed his brow.

"Hey guys," Katara greeted as she hung her parka on a coat hook. "I saw the road was done. You did a great job!"

"Thanks," Toph said, again with a mouthful. Katara joined Aang by the fire.

"Hey," she said softly, nudging him with her shoulder. "You look upset. What's wrong?"

"I'm just tired," Aang replied, looking at the wooden floor and resting his arms upon his knees.

"That's not all," Katara said knowingly, looking right at him. Aang was a little surprised, and then again he wasn't, at how well she knew him.

She pressed further. "You want to talk about it?"

"Not now," Aang said quietly. Katara nodded.

"Okay, then. You hungry?" She stood and walked to the table, filled two bowls with vegetable dumplings and sat back down beside Aang. She handed a bowl and chop sticks to him and he accepted them graciously, smiling slightly. She kissed his cheek and picked a dumpling from her bowl.

"What happened with that man?" Aang inquired. "Is he okay?"

"Just bitten a little by the cold. He'll be fine." She picked up another dumpling raising it to her lips, and Aang watched her with a warm smile.

"You're so amazing," he said softly. Katara lowered her sticks and eyed him analytically.

"Thank you, but what's with the mood swings?" she chortled.

"I don't know," Aang said, scratching the back of his neck. "Must be the weather."

"Right," Katara said doubtfully. "Did Toph give you a hard time?"

"No," Aang said shaking his head and smirking. "I guess I'm just feeling a little overwhelmed."

"Overwhelmed?" Katara repeated.

"There's so much work to be done…" Aang clarified, "…and when we meet with these people, I get the sense that they expect everything to be completely better right away, and there's so much pressure and so many issues in so many places..." He ran his hand over his head and sighed, and Katara placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"There's only so much we can do," she encouraged. "We can help with the major problems keeping their affairs from running smoothly. But, after that, they're on their own." She turned toward him slightly. "Don't let people make you feel like you're responsible for what happened to their homes. You're here now to help, and that's what's most important. If they can't respect that, then they can look for help elsewhere."

"She's right, Aang," Sokka chimed in. "Don't let it bother you. We'll do what we can while we can. We're sticking to our schedule, which includes a spring break, by the way," he said as he grabbed another helping of dumplings.

"That's something to look forward to," Katara said with a smile.

"Yeah," Sokka continued. "We should be near that huge waterfall where you and Katara first practiced waterbending. That should be fun."

"I guess so," Aang said, looking a little hopeful.

"It's just for this next year," Katara reminded him.

"Barring any major setbacks," Sokka said.

"Thanks guys," Aang said with a true smile.

"We wouldn't let you face this mess all by yourself," Katara smiled. "Never alone," she promised in a whisper.

"Never alone," Aang reiterated quietly, beaming his trademark half-smile.

"Ugh, cut it out," Toph said. "You're gonna make me barf up my lunch."

Sokka threw some cabbage from a dumpling at her, which stuck to the middle of her forehead. The group shared a hearty laugh, and instantly the air in the room felt much lighter.

-o—o—o—o—o—

The air was stagnant, hot and seeping through to her core. There was no significant amount of light, only the constant feel of steel shackles and rough tweed against her skin. This was a miserable hell, and Spirits damn Zuko for putting her here. Sweat ran in rivulets down her body. Her hair was oily and hung loose around her shoulders. She felt disgusting. And to make matters worse, the moisture on her skin was making it more pliable, causing her restraints to cut into the flesh of her ankles and wrists. The salt in her sweat was burning the open wounds and nearly breaking her focus.

She wanted to lie down, or just to _sit_ down. She was bound in a standing position with her arms stretched out on either side to steel pillars in the center of the cell. The only relief for her quivering legs was to sink to her knees and rest for a few minutes. T`his fully stretched her arms out above her head, putting a lot of stress on her wrists and painfully scoring her skin. She wanted to scream out, and curse everyone within earshot, but her discipline, and her pride, wouldn't let her show weakness.

Azula's stomach growled, and she knew they would bring her lunch soon, releasing her from her bindings for half an hour and bringing sweet relief to her aching muscles. Wild animals were kept like this, not royalty. What a disgrace she must look like, grimy and unkempt. She felt she had the appearance of nasty, unclean peasant folk that she wouldn't dare fraternize with given the choice. It made it so she couldn't stand to be in her own skin. She was trying hard not to break, but with every trickle of sweat that ran its course from her neck all the way to her ankles, the more intense her emotions became.

Six weeks she had been here. Six weeks of darkness and heat, stench and loathing. The sweat running over her body and the constant sound of water dripping elsewhere about the room was like some kind of sick water torture. They wouldn't break her. She refused to let them. That's exactly what Zuko wanted, for her to be broken and weak and come crawling back home begging for forgiveness. Damn that. She would die here before that happened. He was surely enjoying all the perks of royal life; being waited on hand and foot, eating superb food and drinking fine wine, leisurely bathing in the large, royal tubs and screwing his harlot betrothed on their father's bed. Disgusting. Zuko deserved none of it. He had joined forces with the enemy and was rewarded for it. The Avatar and his friends were free to roam about the world and undo all of the work her forefathers had put in. They should be in dungeon cells, all of them, fighting with rats for food and space. A rat squeaked from a corner of the room and Azula laughed out loud at the mockery.

"So you agree," she asked the unseen animal. "I was beginning to wonder if the whole world had gone mad." She sank to her knees and grimaced as her quadriceps convulsed while relaxing from exhaustion and malnourishment. She heard a scurrying across the floor and her eyes widened.

"Don't come near me, you filth!" She could feel the rat sniffing about her feet but was too weak to stand back up and kick it away. "Get away from me!" She tried moving her feet but her legs wouldn't cooperate. Just then, she felt the rat's long incisors sink into the flesh of her big toe and she screamed a shrill scream that reverberated off the walls of her cell. Adrenaline kicked in and she stood, kicking her foot and sending the rat flying across the room and into the wall in front of her.

"Bastard! You bastard!" She began to cry and fell on her knees again just as the door to her cell opened and her personal guard stepped through. The rat scampered from the room through the open door squeaking his own curses. The guard looked at Azula and laughed.

"Making friends with your cell mates, I see." The large, burly man continued to laugh as he set Azula's food tray down on the floor.

"Shut up, you degenerate," she looked up at him through her tears and the guard laughed again.

"Come on now, Princess," he chuckled darkly. "Why the tears? Are we not treating you well?"

"Release me so I can have my lunch," she said, turning her head away from the man and silently cursing her weakness.

"I might do that if you do something for me first," he said while tracing a finger from her neck down to her left breast, cupping it with his rough, calloused hand. Azula yelled out and backed away from him as best as she could.

"Don't you dare touch me! I'll have you killed you swine!"

The guard stepped back looking about the room and put his hands out to his side for emphasis. "By whom, _Princess_? You have no allies, and no one here is going to listen to you. Look around you. You're all alone and no one cares." The man walked toward the cell door and turned to her just before he walked out. "Don't worry about me touching you, though. I've been with whores who have better hygiene than you." He laughed again as he walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Azula scowled deeply as tears continued to flow over her dirty cheeks. Outside the room, she heard the guard begin to crank the mechanisms that slackened her chains, allowing her to collapse to the floor and rest her tired back. She lied on her side and pulled her knees to her chest, stretching out the muscles of her back and sobbing quietly.

"Enjoy your lunch. You've already wasted five minutes," the guard said through the small window in the door.

She ignored the comment and pushed herself up onto her hands and knees so she could crawl over to her tray. Her arms trembled beneath her weight as she dragged herself to the north wall of her cell. She slumped against the wall, lifted the tray into her lap and tried to identify what they'd given her to eat. The dish contained a few strips of cured mystery meat, a bowl of sticky white rice, half of an orange and a cup of water—well, what had been a cup of water before that ogre of a guard spilled half of it. Azula took an attempt at a deep, calming breath. If only the guard would forget to tighten her chains just this once. She would shoot him so full of flames his ancestors would smolder. Her mouth formed a crooked smile at the thought, but it quickly faded. She doubted she could even muster enough energy to form her signature blue flames.

She picked up her orange and sucked the juice from its pulp. It was so sweet. Its taste reminded her of happier times; when her mother would bring fresh oranges that had been harvested from the orchards of neighboring Fire Nation islands, slice them into wedges and serve them alongside their lunch. At once she was reminded of picnics next to the turtle-duck pond, weekend trips to Ember Island, annual festivals that their mother would take them to even though their father had advised against it. A flooding of pleasant memories burst forth, and she cringed.

"Ugh! What the hell is wrong with me?" Azula dropped the orange peel onto her tray. "Mother never loved me the way she loved Zuko. She did all of those things for him." Her eyes flooded with tears and she didn't understand why. She closed them and let the water spill over her cheeks and into her food. Annoyed by her sudden emotional outburst, she quickly wiped the tears from her cheeks and began spooning rice into her mouth with her fingers, determined to fill her body with sustenance, not grief.

"You know that isn't true, Azula," chimed an eerily familiar voice from the darkest corner of her cell. Her mother's voice sent chills down her spine.

"I always loved you, as much as I did your brother. The two of you were my life."

"Then why did you leave me?" Azula shouted at the phantom voice. She caught herself before another comment was made and put her hands over her ears. "No, no, no, no, no…" she chanted over and over, shaking her head and trying to rid her conscience of Mother's voice. After several moments passed, she slowly removed her hands from her ears, a keen sense of relief washing over her when she found the cell silent once again. She quickly ate the rest of her food and lay down on her back in the floor, enjoying the last few minutes of rest before she heard the guard moving toward her cell again, no doubt to retract the chains and return her to her previous position. She wouldn't get her chance to roast him today. What a pity. It would have to wait until another day.

-o—o—o—o—o—

"Lord Zuko," a quiet voice called from the antechamber of the throne room. Zuko looked up to find Lum, a member of the Royal Guard knelt beneath the threshold, his eyes downcast.

"I'd like to request an audience with you, Sir, if you can spare the time."

"Of course, Lum. Please come in," Zuko motioned for the man to enter.

Lum stood and walked toward the dais, not meeting the Fire Lord's eyes, and took a seat before him.

"I'm afraid I've put myself in a very precarious situation, Lord Zuko."

"What kind of situation?" Zuko furrowed his brow in confusion.

The guard sighed and swallowed hard. "I've been an informant for the Resistance for the past few months. I've been updating them on intelligence that has been gathered by our reconnaissance teams-"

Zuko's eyes widened and he stood, shouting with ferocity, "What?"

"I didn't have a choice!" Lum cried, bowing on his hands and knees before Zuko. "They threatened my family! They threatened our lives!"

Zuko's eyes flashed with panic. If the Resistance had an informant in his handpicked security team, their influence was far greater than he had estimated. Instantly he thought back on the recent meetings he'd held with his generals that the Royal Guard were present in. Everything that had been discussed in those meetings he now had to regard as leaked. This meant the Resistance would have the upper hand if they decided to attack. All the reconnaissance missions and information his teams had gathered was to no avail. All of their plans to counter any attacks would be ineffective because the Resistance would be aware of all of their tactics before they were ever put into action. His life, and Mai's, could be in serious danger at this point. And Lum…

"I'll send a royal escort for your family," Zuko told Lum at length. "I will provide your family with living quarters within the palace so their safety can be assured."

Lum rose and looked Zuko in the eye, tears pooling and threatening to fall. "I cannot express my regret, Lord Zuko, or my appreciation for your generosity."

"I have a few questions for you, however," Zuko said, sitting back down upon his cushion and folding his legs.

"Yes sir?"

"Are there any others?"

"No sir. Not that I'm aware."

"Where did the exchange of information take place?"

"In their underground headquarters, on the western edge of the Palace City."

Zuko paused thoughtfully. "Your meetings always take place there?"

Lum nodded a positive response. "Yes, sir."

"How many people do you meet with?"

"Just one person, and it's a different person every time. I don't know them, I just pass them my notes and they send me away."

"So you don't know who the head of their operations is?"

"No sir, I'm afraid I don't."

"What made you come to me? How do I know I can trust what you're telling me is the truth?"

"Because I can't handle this anymore. I'm afraid for the safety of my family. I don't want to undermine you, Lord Zuko. I respect what you're trying to do for our people and I don't want to sabotage that." Lum cleared his throat. "I have a request, if I may."

Zuko nodded, "I'll do what I can."

"Please don't remove me from your guard, Sir. If they suspect something has changed, that I've betrayed them, they will kill me."

"That was never my intention," Zuko stated. "We're going to allow you to keep funneling information to them. It's just going to be what we _want_ them to know. If they think they have our every move plotted we'll be in perfect position to destabilize their efforts. This way, we can get your family under royal protection and you don't have to fear for your own safety."

"Thank you, Lord Zuko. I won't fail you. I give you my word."

"I should be thanking you, Lum. I think you may have just given us the key to undoing what my sister and the Old Generals have set in motion."

Lum bowed once more before his Fire Lord and exited the room.

Zuko put his elbow on his knee and rested his head in his hand, covering his eyes and sighing in frustration. He missed Uncle. He could really use his advice right now, not to mention his military expertise. This was getting ugly. People's lives were being threatened and disarray seemed to be setting in amongst his people. He wanted to be a good leader for them, to help build a nation that would be prosperous and peaceful. His policies seemed to be so well received in the beginning, and now progress was being hindered by propaganda, unrest and fear among the citizens of the Fire Nation. He always knew the transition would be difficult, but he never expected to be met with such a strong opposing current. There were so many policies and laws that needed to be rewritten, so many prejudices that needed to be erased, misinformation that needed to be corrected and wrongs that needed to be righted. He wondered if he was strong enough to take it all on.

With a weighted spirit, Zuko rose and began making his way to his bedchambers, feeling overwhelmed and suddenly very tired. It seemed the entire palace was asleep already; the long corridors bearing a heavy silence, and each chamber seeming more like an echoing cavern. It was strange, the emptiness he felt. It was something he hadn't felt for a while now, not since before joining with Aang and his friends in the summer. His life had held purpose and direction. So many positive changes had taken place since then. There was so much to look forward to. There still was, but the knowledge of an impending uprising among his people was like a dark, rain-heavy cloud hanging over him, soaking him to the bone and chilling his soul. He wasn't sure if he had the answers, nor was he sure that he could find the strength to see it through.

He pushed open the heavy door to his bedchamber, removing the weighty royal robes and dropping them to the floor. He felt lighter with each article of clothing he removed. Feeling much more comfortable in his red drawstring pants, he stretched his arms above his head, realigning his vertebrae and taking a deep refreshing breath. Then, through the door leading to his terrace, he saw his inspiration, standing there in a red satin robe, her hair down and gently dancing in the wind. Her smile was warm and understanding, and she welcomed him with open arms. He held Mai close to him, breathing her in and releasing the stresses of the day into her embrace. She was worth all the pressure of rebuilding their nation. If he didn't do it for anyone else, it would be for her. He wanted their homeland to be safe and peaceful for her, and perhaps someday, for their children, and he knew he would work diligently to make that vision a reality. She was his source of serenity and strength, and so long as he had her support and love, he knew he would always find the drive to keep pushing forward, no matter how rocky the road ahead would become.

-o—o—o—o—o—

A woman of forty-something stared at the blank parchment lying on the table before her. The lamplight flickered across it, shadows dancing upon its surface and having somewhat of a hypnotic effect. The message she intended to write was an important one. It was to be delivered to the Avatar upon his arrival in her small coastal village. It was rumored that he and his group would arrive within the next few weeks, giving her plenty of time to get her message just right. She had to be sure to make it sound believable, for her claim would most likely sound preposterous and completely untrue. However, she'd heard of the Avatar's trusting nature and how compassionate he was, so she was somewhat confident that he would come to her right away once he received her message and realized it's importance.

Her hand trembled as she took the quill between her fingers, shakily dipping it into the ink well and dabbing the excess onto the blotting paper. She took a deep breath to calm her racing thoughts and began to carefully choose her words. Within a matter of minutes, the ink filled the paper; spilling her secret to a boy she'd never met. She could only hope what she'd heard of him was true, and that he would keep her secret until the time was right and they could act on what she'd shared with him.

She rolled the parchment once the ink was dry and secured the scroll with a dab of wax. She placed it in a wooden trunk that sat at the foot of her bed, covering it with old documents and what remnants she had of her old life. She lifted a trinket from the box, a flat circular piece of clay with a tiny handprint in the middle. She ran her fingers over the imprint and smiled softly. The time for grieving had come and gone, now it was time to be hopeful. With the blessing of the Spirits, her life would change once again, and once again it would do so in dramatic fashion.

* * *

I forgot to mention before, General Bujing, according to Avatar Wiki, is the General who suggested sacrificing the 41st division in the episode 'Zuko Alone'. He's a pretty rowdy guy. We'll be seeing more of him. Continues in Ch. 11, Rebirth.


	11. Ch 11Rebirth

Whoa now. I'm the world's worst author. I would never make it as a deadline writer. ^_^ I got a new job, my kids started school and Playstation Network is evil crack, what can I say? Late as it may be, I hope you guys enjoy the chapter. It's a bit chunky, hope you don't mind the length. Once again I want to thank my wonderful readers and reviewers! You guys truly make my day with your critiques and enthusiasm. I hope the delay hasn't put a damper on the story's luster. Stay with me, we're just getting warmed up!

Ch. 11 – Rebirth

The chill in the air was atypical of a spring morning. Spring was only days old so the frigid temperature wasn't a complete surprise, but warmth would be sweetly welcomed. The Gaang had spent the last several weeks working outdoors, and the work had been especially hard with cold fingers and toes. Progress was being made though, and everyone had been in good spirits the past few days.

Sokka's schedule had brought them to the village of Guiyang, a town with a large natural port in the southwest Earth Kingdom. When the war ended, retreating Fire Nation soldiers had burned the docks and most of the boats there, limiting the resources the citizens relied on. Since they made most of their money from fishing and exporting goods, it was imperative to the city's survival that the piers were repaired and the boats rebuilt.

The people were especially exuberant when the Gaang arrived in the city the day before, with lots of attention being cast upon Aang. It was almost reminiscent of the day they arrived on Kyoshi Island the previous winter. Aang didn't have to do any airbending tricks to prove anything to the people this time around however; his presence in the town seemed to be impressive enough to them. He reluctantly accepted gifts of food and money from the residents…and even more reluctantly accepted kisses on the cheek from some of the local girls, much to Katara's dismay. She had raised an eyebrow and rolled her eyes as the rest of the Gaang stood a few feet away receiving their own complements and expressions of gratitude from the people. She was quite proud of the restraint she had shown, snuffing out the urge to smack the girls upside the head with water whips.

The thought of actually handing out that punishment made Katara smirk as she sat on the back steps of the house they were staying in, enjoying the sunrise. She and Aang really hadn't been together long enough for her to begin displaying aggressive showings of possession, but the sight of some other girl's lips touching Aang's cheek made her cringe. She knew she had to share her boyfriend with the world, he was the Avatar after all, and his allegiance had to lie with the people before her. Their fledgling relationship would no doubt be shaped by how they handled this division of time for one another and his duty to the people. It would be a delicate balance, but this was something she was used to dealing with, being a waterbender and having mastered the concept of push and pull.

She smiled as her mind wandered to more pleasant thoughts of waterbending with Aang. It was just one of the many connections they shared and was one of her favorite facets of their relationship. They had been so busy recently that they hadn't had time to indulge in one of her favorite pastimes; aside from the fact that it's not exactly fun being all wet when it's freezing outside. She closed her eyes and focused on the sun's warmth upon her cheeks; she couldn't wait for the weather to get warmer. She heard the distinct click of the door closing behind her followed by a quiet shuffling on the porch and her heart fluttered. She didn't have to turn around to know who it was.

"Hey," he greeted in a soft voice. A blanket was draped over her shoulders and she took it into her hands, wrapping herself in it and snuggling into its warmth.

"Hey," she said into the blanket, her voice muffled.

"Whatcha doing? It's freezing out here."

"Watching the sunrise," she answered, looking up at him and smiling, "…and freezing. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Mind if I join you?" Aang sat down before she answered him.

"Of course not," she said, offering the right side of the blanket to him. He pulled it around his shoulders and scooted closer. Katara linked her arm with his and they huddled close together. She hummed contentedly. He was so warm.

"The sunrise is beautiful this morning," he commented, although he was looking at her and not at the colorful display before them.

She nodded in agreement, briefly meeting his eyes, unable to keep a warm blush from coloring her cheeks.

"I uh…I wanted to apologize to you," Aang said.

"What for?"

"For yesterday," he replied, looking at his feet. "When we got here. I didn't know the girls in town were so, um, _friendly_."

Katara laughed quietly. "That wasn't your fault, Aang," she assured him.

"You're not mad about it?" he asked. The expression in his eyes was apologetic.

"No. What made you think I was mad?"

"The look on your face," Aang said with a smirk.

"Oh," Katara grinned sheepishly. "I was never mad at you, Aang. I guess everyone has their own way of showing their appreciation for what you've done for them. I might not always like it, but it's something I'll get used to." She nudged against him. "You're a pretty popular guy."

Aang chuckled quietly and moved her hand from his arm to lace their fingers together.

"Okay. I just don't want you to think I _want_ that kind of attention from other girls…. Just from you." Aang smiled warmly and the honesty in his words melted her heart. She smiled and kissed his cheek.

"That's good to know," she said, nuzzling her cold nose against his warm cheek. "I wouldn't really be helping your cause if I acted out. I mean; could you really see me freezing one of those floozies upside down to the pier right before high tide?"

Aang chuckled. "Actually, yeah, I could." They both laughed.

"Really, I would never do something like that," Katara said, a little more seriously. "The way the people see you and the things that you're trying to accomplish are far more important than my petty feelings of jealousy. Besides…I trust you." Her eyes flitted upward to meet his. "I believe you mean what you say when you say it. So...I'm not worried about you hurting my feelings."

His expression softened. "I'm glad; because I would never hurt you that way, you know that."

Katara nodded. "I do."

"I care about you, so much Katara," Aang said sincerely. It wasn't exactly what he wanted to say but it would do until the timing was right. "I just want you to be happy."

"I care about you too, Aang," she said, a bright blush upon her cheeks. "…And I never said I wasn't happy."

Aang smiled, his own cheeks feeling warm. "I know. It's just that your feelings are more important to me than theirs could ever be. I know the people are all really appreciative, but I didn't end the war for them. It was my duty, and it was something I had to do to restore balance, but everything I did was for you and our friends and your families. It was hard to get motivated with everyone saying I had to 'go out and save the world'," he said putting his hands up for emphasis. "Here were all these people who expected so much from me, who didn't even know me, and all I could think about was the loss of my people and the huge task ahead and it was overwhelming. But when I told myself I was doing it for you, so _your_ world could be safe…it made my mission more personal, more worthwhile."

Katara looked up at him, searching his expressive eyes and suddenly feeling short of breath. She placed a hand on his cheek and gently kissed his lips.

"You're so selfless," she said finding his hand again and squeezing it slightly. "It wouldn't hurt for you to be self_ish_ every once in a while."

Aang shrugged. "I'll get to at some point."

Katara looked at him with glowing admiration. "All I want is for _you_ to be happy. You deserve it more than anyone else."

"I am happy," Aang said as he slipped an arm around her. "…Because of you."

They both smiled and slowly closed the tiny space between them, pressing their lips together and snuggling closer to each other. The kiss was soft and warm, a sharp contrast to the bitter cold of the morning. Katara leaned into him, loving each tender caress of his lips until she felt his tongue softly graze her bottom lip. Surprised, she slightly withdrew from him, placing a couple of inches between his lips and hers. They both smiled tentatively, and then softly came back together. She cupped his cheek with her left hand and he wrapped his arms around her hugging her close to him. The kisses were exploratory, their lips coming together gently with experimental flicks of the tongue and separating for a split second before falling together again. They had never kissed each other this way before, and it sent a shiver up Katara's spine; a really warm shiver, right through to her core. She knew he could feel it too, she wasn't sure how, but she just knew. He would occasionally smile at her in the cutest way between kisses and she found herself unable to keep from smiling back. When they parted, still remaining close, they wrapped the blanket tighter around them and smiled at one another affectionately. Of all the ways she could have imagined beginning the day, this way had to be the sweetest.

"That was…nice," Katara said with a shy smile. She touched her forehead to his and Aang grinned.

"Yeah," he agreed in a whisper. "Can we do it again?" he asked with an inviting brush of his lips over hers.

Katara nodded her affirmation eagerly as he moved to capture her lips once again. They spent half an hour on the porch keeping one another warm and talking softly, sharing kisses and wishing they could spend the entire day like this, just the two of them.

Their lofty mood was instantly deflated when they heard the door open up behind them, bringing them back to reality and shouldering them with responsibility. Katara mentally wished that for one day, it would all go away. Here begins that balancing act.

"Hey guys," Sokka greeted sleepily. "Whatcha doin?"

"What do you want, Sokka?" Katara asked, irritated and ignoring the question. "Get Suki to make your breakfast."

"Um, she is," he answered, taken aback. "Everyone's up and I was thinking we could talk about our plans for the day. Am I interrupting something?"

"It's okay, Sokka," Aang intervened. "We'll be there in a minute."

Sokka shrugged. "Okay."

Aang looked at Katara with a raised eyebrow and a smirk once Sokka retreated into the house and closed the door.

"I know," Katara said, feeling guilty for being so harsh. "Guess I should apologize. It just seems like he's always interrupting."

Aang laughed light-heartedly. "He doesn't mean to, he just always has bad timing. He's right though. I'd love to sit out here with you all day, but we need to get going. We have a meeting with the town's council soon." Aang stood and helped Katara to her feet.

"Okay. I'll go help with breakfast then," Katara said grudgingly as she approached the door.

"Hey," Aang said, catching her hand before she entered the house. "This morning was…nice," he remarked, echoing her earlier sentiments. "Maybe we should try to, um, spend time like this together more often."

"I agree." Katara smiled, kissed his cheek and went into the house.

Aang was thrilled by the idea of getting to spend more 'quality' time with her, but for now he had to focus on the day's agenda, which unfortunately didn't include cuddling with his girlfriend. He looked forward to the day when the world didn't have to call upon him so much, and he could devote all of his attention to her. Despite the pressing matters at hand, he smiled, and went to join the rest of his friends inside where it was significantly warmer.

-o—o—o—o—o—

"You have a visitor," Azula's guard grumbled through the window of her cell door, startling her. "Too bad you can't bathe first," he chuckled to himself. "Let's see how long they can stand to be in the room with you."

Azula's spirits lifted for a brief second. She was dying to hear if the movement she'd set into motion back home had yet yielded any results. She doubted it would be anyone of any importance. Surely they wouldn't let any known member of the Resistance onto the Boiling Rock. They'd be arrested on sight and locked up right along with her. She scowled. It was probably Zuko coming to see if she'd learned her lesson. Maybe she should pretend her months of miserable heat and solitude have cured her so she could get out of this hole.

The chains slackened and she collapsed to the floor, muscles quivering and pain coursing through her body. She pushed herself into a seated position and waited for the ogre to come and unlock her shackles. She refused to look at him as he entered the cell with a restraint wheelchair.

"Upsy Daisy," the man said as he roughly dragged her to her feet. "You don't want to keep your guest waiting, do you? I honestly can't believe anyone would waste a trip on a beautiful day like today to come all the way out here to visit you."

"Beautiful day?" Azula parroted. The thought of the warm sun on her skin made her miss freedom so much.

"Yeah, not that it matters. You're not going outside." The guard unlocked the last of her shackles and turned her around to sit her in the chair.

Azula hung her head as the man strapped her to the chair. She stopped fighting them a long time ago. She hadn't the strength to do so anymore. When they started out of the room, her curiosity got the better of her.

"Who is it? My visitor?"

"Don't know, don't care," the guard spoke harshly. "They don't give me the details, I just fetch the scoundrels on the list."

"It would do you well to not continue to speak to me in such a manner. I won't always be in here and I'm still the Princess, regardless of who is on the throne."

The guard laughed out loud. "Okay, _Princess_, whatever you say."

Azula dug her nails into the armrests of her chair and silently vowed to have the man burned alive once she was free. He would regret ever treating her like some common criminal. Oh, the day she would get to see him all aflame would certainly be sweet. Pig.

They took a series of elevators to bring her from the depths of the prison. With every floor they raised through, the air felt lighter and less humid. Finally, it felt like she could breathe again. It was the first time she had been brought up to the higher levels since her arrival in the winter. She looked down at her person and became acutely aware of how filthy she appeared in the light. The maroon woolen gown they had her in was blackened with what she guessed was a mixture of soot and dirt. Her fingernails looked horrendous, broken and dirt caked underneath them. She had the same soot and dirt mixture all over her skin and she could smell the oil in her hair, not to mention the obvious odor of having not bathed in such a long time. Her anger sparked again. She had to find a way out of this place.

"Here we are," the guard announced as he wheeled her into a room containing only a steel table and chairs.

No combustibles. What a shame.

The guard wheeled her up to the table and placed the locks on the wheels of her chair, then took up the chains on the floor and linked them through the wheels of the chair to shackle it into place. Without a word, he turned and left her alone in the room, closing the door behind him.

Azula's stomach growled. This had better be good; she was missing lunch for this meeting and they most likely would not redeliver her food later. She sat in silence for several minutes, looking around the room and searching for anything she could use to her advantage; something made of paper or wood, something burnable. She looked at the chains bolted to the floor to see if they could be pulled free. She tried rocking the chair to see if the tension would loosen them. Having no success, she looked instead to her chair. The rickety contraption was made of wicker and wood, she smiled…if she could only muster the energy to burn the damned thing. She pulled against the leather wrist restraints and noticed the one binding her right wrist was coming loose slightly. That was her opportunity. No matter the outcome, she had to try to free herself. She pulled hard on the restraint, focusing all of her energy on yanking it free. She heard the wicker pop and her heart leapt. She surveyed the damage and saw that one of the small screws had come loose. She continued pulling up on the strap, the wicker popping and splintering, until she heard footsteps outside the door. She quickly placed her arm over the splintered wood and tried to listen to the voices outside in the hallway. One was the ogre, and the other distinctly female. Confusion set in. Who was that?

The door opened and Azula turned to look behind her. Standing in the doorway with her arms crossed and holding a scroll was Mai. Azula frowned.

"Ugh, what do _you_ want?" Azula asked turning away from her.

"To see how you're doing," Mai responded dryly. "Zuko asked that I come to check up on you."

Azula scoffed. "I've been here for months and you're just now coming to check on me? You don't really care. You should just leave." Azula called out to the guard. "Get me out of here! This visit is over!"

"You have a message," Mai said as she sat in the chair across from Azula. She rolled the scroll across the table. Azula looked at her in disgust.

"Dummy. I can't read it, my hands are bound to this stupid chair."

"So take it back to your cell with you and read it later," Mai spat back.

"They keep me chained to pillars in the center of the room," Azula said. "I won't be able to read it then either."

"I'm not reading it for you. I was only sent to deliver it." Mai looked up at Azula and frowned. "You're a mess."

"Thanks for stating the obvious." Azula looked away.

"You look thin. Are they feeding you?"

"Don't pretend that you're worried about me. Your fake concern will only make me hate you more." Azula glowered at her ex-best friend across the table.

"I was just asking, and to tell you the truth, we do care Azula. You completely lost it when the war ended. You needed help. Putting you in here is for your own good."  
"My own good? How dare you? You have no idea what's good for me!" Azula tried to stand and was suddenly reminded of her restraints. She screamed in frustration. "I'm not crazy! Stop treating me like some Spirit-forsaken mental patient!" She yanked against the restraints and the wicker popped. Mai's eyes widened.

Azula continued to rant. "You're the one who needs help! You filthy whore! You disgusting, good-for-nothing leach! You're using my brother to put your family in a position of power! Everyone knows it!" Azula laughed. "You and your family will be out on the streets when he finds out."

"What are you talking about, Azula? I love Zuko! My family has nothing to do with this!" Mai shouted back with equal venom.

"Sure. You _love_ Zuko," Azula mocked. "You don't see him for three years, then all of a sudden you're spread eagle on my father's bed, taking it like a two-bit prostitute."

Mai reddened. "Shut up Azula!"

"Maybe you'll get lucky and your children won't be weak and dull like the two of you. What a joke, _your_ children becoming heirs to the throne of the most powerful nation in the world. If they're anything like either of you the Fire Nation is in serious trouble." Azula shook her hair out of her eyes and stared at Mai. She could see her anger bubbling beneath the surface. Good. Misery loves company.

"Our children will be loved no matter the circumstances, Azula. That's all that matters. And that's exactly what your mother was trying to show you when she was still here."

Azula's eyes widened. "You don't know anything about my mother! She hated me!" She bucked in the chair, trying to loosen her leather bindings. "She was a liar and she was weak! She made Zuko weak! She thought I was crazy too, just like you!" With one final jerk of her arm, the restraint popped free. Her elation was short-lived though, as she quickly found the sleeve of her gown tacked to the back of the chair by four strategically placed darts. She snapped her sight from her arm back to Mai, who was standing with her arm still extended from the quick release of the knives.

"Don't even think about it," Mai said. "They've told me you can't firebend, but I'm not taking any chances." She walked around the table to retrieve the scroll that had rolled from the tabletop onto the floor and placed it back in front of Azula.

"I can firebend! They're lying to you." Azula tried to pull her arm free.

Mai sighed. "Love doesn't make you weak, Azula. It empowers you." She moved toward the door of the room. "Don't you see what the hunger for power has done to you?" Mai asked, putting her hands out to her side and looking about the room. "…What it's done to your father, your family, to the world?"

"Don't go all diplomatic on me, Mai. It wasn't all that long ago that you were helping me in my mission to stop the Avatar, remember?"

"I was bored, Azula. And honestly, it's a lot easier to go along with whatever you say than to dodge lightning bolts for not complying." Mai exhaled sharply and leaned against the wall, crossing her arms over her chest. "I wish you could see that Zuko and Aang are trying to change things for the better, change that will benefit everyone, even you."

Azula glowered. "I don't know which part makes me want to throw up more, you talking about 'change that will benefit even me' or referring to the Avatar on a first-name basis. How do you sleep at night, knowing you're a traitor to your country?"

"Aang is a friend, and I'm not a traitor."

Azula laughed incredulously.

"Ugh, give it up already Azula! Are you really going to let yourself waste away in here by holding on to your hate?" Mai asked as she lifted her weight from the wall and began to pull the door open. "It really is sad that you're unable to love anyone or anything but power over other people. You're going to miss out on so much."

"What, Mai? Please, oh please tell me what I'm going to be missing out on," Azula mocked in faux distress.

Mai paused in the doorway and then turned to face her former friend again, speaking simply.

"Life." She stepped through the door and began to pull it closed. "Goodbye Azula." The sound of the door closing echoed through the room.

When Mai's footsteps faded, Azula screamed out at the top of her lungs. She pulled against the leather straps and rocked the chair violently, wasting energy that she really didn't have to waste. She screamed and cried and fought until the guard burst through the door, putting a sponge soaked in a solution of opium, hemlock and other herbs beneath her nose. Because of her quickened breathing rate, the fumes quickly rendered her unconscious. Azula's head drooped lifelessly over her lap, her right arm still attached to the chair back.

"Wow, she really did a number on you, didn't she?" the guard asked Azula as he removed the chains from the wheel chair. He chuckled to himself as he collected the scroll and wheeled her back to her cell.

-o—o—o—o—o—

"Do you think it's going to work?" Zuko asked his betrothed as they lay in the bed, holding one another and watching the candle light dance upon the walls and ceiling of their bedchamber.

"I doubt it," Mai said flatly. "She's pretty messed up Zuko. Probably beyond repair."

"People said the same thing about me. If it wasn't for Uncle, who knows where I'd be right now."

"Your uncle was able to get through to _you _because you were already a good person on the inside, Zuko. Azula just isn't. She's just like your father…and grandfather…and great grandfather." Mai sighed. "I would like to see her change. She and I have always been close…even though she was a bully."

Zuko chuckled. "Bully is a nice way of putting it. What's come over you, Mai?"

Mai turned over onto her stomach to look at Zuko. "Seeing her today…it was really sad. She looks awful. And…she has this delusion that I'm using you to put my family in power."

"What? Where did that come from?" Zuko asked in disbelief.

"I don't know. But when I mentioned your mother she freaked out and pulled one of her restraints right out of the arm of the chair. She didn't get much further than that though."

Zuko was intrigued. "What made you mention my mother?"

"Well, she was spouting all these insults, calling me a whore and saying our children would be weak. I just told her that we would love our children no matter what, and that was all that your mother was trying to do when she was here…to love her unconditionally." Mai settled back into the mattress, wrapping her arm around Zuko's waist. "She snapped."

Zuko's heart beat a little faster at the thought of having children with Mai. Sure, they were engaged, and having children was part of marriage, but it was something they had never really discussed before. He could only hope to have the same positive influence over his children that his mother had over him. He smiled, and then he remembered what they were talking about, his smile faded quickly.

"I wish my mother were here," Zuko said in a low voice. "I think she might be able to help her."

"Well for now we'll have to see if this works. Your uncle has a way of breaking through and making someone see the truth."

"She hates Uncle," Zuko said, his voice laden with doubt. "When she finds out he's the one that sent the message she'll burn it."

"She can't firebend," Mai said as casually as if she had mentioned the clouds in the sky.

Zuko pushed himself up onto his elbows, looking down at Mai. "What?"

"I told you she looked awful," Mai began. "She's weak. She doesn't have the energy to make fire." She looked up at Zuko. "It doesn't mean she won't ever be able to again, she just can't right now. As long as she keeps holding onto all that negative energy, I'm not sure she's ever going to get better."

Zuko laid back down, completely shocked. The Firebending Prodigy had lost her flame. It was something he never saw coming. "Maybe we should tell them to change the way she's being held. Maybe put her in a regular cell."

Mai looked at him with wide eyes. "Are you serious? Going easy on her is not going to help her, Zuko. All that would do is allow her to regain her strength and fight the guards. You know how powerful she is. If she comes back here…" she trailed off. "She needs to be where she's at. It's breaking her. Just give it more time."

Zuko's brow creased. "It just seems a little harsh. If she looks as awful as you say-"

"Harsh? Zuko she tried to kill you, she tried to kill Aang _and_ Katara. A few months of isolation is not enough to cure whatever is wrong with her. She's just as angry and driven as she's always been. To lighten her sentence would be a mistake."

"Okay," Zuko conceded. "You're probably right."

Mai scooted closer to him and wrapped an arm around his waist. "The difference between you two is that you have a conscience and she doesn't. You feel compassion for people and she doesn't. I'm just afraid if you go easy on her now that we'll regret it later. You need to toughen up," she said, poking Zuko in the shoulder. "You've always let her get the better of you. She's doing it right now and she's not even here."

Zuko grabbed her hand and kissed her fingertips. "That's why I love you, Mai. You're my voice of reason."

Mai blushed. "I just know how she is, and so do you. The thought of her getting out and coming back here should worry you just as much as it does me. I want to live to see my wedding day, thank you." They snuggled closer.

"I don't think that's going to be an issue," Zuko said as he held her close. Just then, a sound perked his ears. He sat up straight. "Did you hear that?"

Mai sat up beside him and listened. There was a distant crash and shouting came from down the hall. They both sprang from the bed. Zuko grabbed a robe and rushed toward the door.

"Stay here, I'll be right back," he shouted as he rushed out into the antechamber.

"Zuko, wait!" Mai called out as she scrambled into a robe and grabbed her knives and darts. She fumbled with the apparatus nervously and wondered what was going on. She was startled by glass breaking behind her and she dropped the darts. She grabbed for them as they rolled about on the floor and she quickly scooted underneath the bed. Her heart pounded in her ears as she waited to see what was happening. She saw two men leap through the window.

_What is going on_?

"She's in here somewhere, I just saw her," one of the men said in a deep, hoarse voice. "Look in all the doors, she can't have gone far."

Mai breathed as quietly as she could and waited for both men to be facing away from her. She stealthily crept out from underneath the bed and grabbed her knife sheath. One of the men came from the closet area and spotted her.

"There she-" he began to shout, before one of Mai's knives hit him square in the throat. He fell to the floor, bleeding and gurgling before the other man could turn to see what was happening.

Mai launched another knife in his direction, and he quickly reacted, pulling his broad swords from their sheath and deflecting the knife. Mai launched another, then another, aiming high and low, trying to hit the man in a vital area to take him down. He deflected them all and Mai ran for the door, concealing her last knife within the sleeve of her robe. The man gave chase, snatching her by her hair and putting her in chokehold.

"You're not going anywhere," the man with the hoarse voice said into her ear. He smelled of alcohol and tobacco. Mai nearly gagged.

"The Generals will be pleased with this prize. You're going to make quite the bargaining chip, little lady."

"Let me go!" Mai struggled to shout as the man applied more pressure to her neck. The more she fought him, the fuzzier her vision became. If she passed out, there was no telling what would become of her. How was this happening? Where were the guards? In a defensive move, Mai went limp; giving the impression that she had been choked to sleep. When the man began to release the pressure of the choke, Mai took in a deep breath, spun the knife in her hand and drove it deep into the man's thigh, twisting it and severing his femoral artery. The man screamed out in pain and grabbed for the knife, trying to pull it free.

"Lady Mai!" a handful of guards yelled as they rushed to her aid. Mai began to walk toward them and then turned, flinging a final dart in the man's direction, lodging it in his left shoulder and sending him to the ground, unconscious.

"Are you alright?" The guards asked, as they looked her over. She snatched her arm away from one of them. The bottom of her robe was soaked with the man's blood but she was fine, aside from the trauma of having almost been kidnapped.

"I'm fine, where's Zuko?" Mai asked as she walked away from the guards, all of them looking completely stunned by what they just saw her do.

"He's, uh, the Fire Lord is downstairs helping to apprehend the intruders," one of the guards stuttered.

"Isn't that where you should be?" Mai asked tartly as she continued toward the main stairs of the palace.

"We were sent to protect you, Lady," another guard spoke as they moved to follow her.

Mai whirled around on them. "_Protect_ me? If you idiots had been doing your jobs this wouldn't have happened!" she shouted in the most forceful voice she could muster, her eyes wide. She rushed down the stairs finding Zuko on his way back into the main foyer, sprinting toward her.

"Mai! Agni what happened to you?" He took her into his arms and then looked her over, noting her blood-soaked clothing. He looked to the guards. "Did you see who did this?"

"I'm fine, Zuko," Mai said, pulling from his embrace.

"The man is still upstairs," one guard said.

"He's bleeding pretty badly," stated another.

"There were two of them," Mai said. "They came through our terrace window. One of them said the Generals wanted to use me as a bargaining chip."

"We got to her as soon as we could, Lord Zuko. But she had already taken them down."

Zuko wasn't at all surprised.

"Just get upstairs and get those men out of our room," Mai said to the guards, as she brushed past them on her way back upstairs.

The scene Zuko found in his bedchamber astounded him: one man dead in their bedroom, and another bleeding profusely from his leg and unconscious outside the bedchamber door. One of the windows leading to the terrace had been broken and glass lay all over the floor. Mai went about the room grabbing clothes, her knives and darts, and a clean robe.

"I can't sleep in here," she said, her voice quivering. "I'm going to take a bath."

Zuko stopped her before she exited the room with a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry Mai."

She looked at him and placed a hand on his chest. "This isn't your fault. If we had more diligent guards around here…" She sighed. "We have to do something about this Zuko."

"I intend to, I promise," he said as he watched her walk away. He knew that this was only a preliminary attack; that whoever planned this intended it as more than a warning and would most likely try to come back. There was much to address in the morning, once the palace's perimeter was secure. Zuko refused to feel helpless, even though he was feeling panicked. They were attacked, in their own bedroom, a room centrally located at the rear of the main wing of the palace, shadowed between the two secondary wings and supposedly impossible to get to without notice of the guards. The two men that attacked Mai had to cross a lengthy courtyard and scale pretty substantial wall to gain access to the terrace. Something wasn't right. Unless all the guards were sleeping, there should have been no way for those men to make it into the palace. He looked to the guards still standing in the antechamber. "Stand guard outside the bathing room, inside and outside the palace."

The guards bowed their heads slightly and moved to follow their order.

When the two intruders were removed from his bedchamber, Zuko changed his clothes and went to gather the royal guard. He found them still loading the assailants into a rhino-drawn metal wagon. He approached Lum, pulling him to the side.

"Is your family safe?" Zuko asked quietly.

"Yes, Lord Zuko," Lum replied, looking over his shoulder toward the wagon. "It appears they are none the wiser. Thank you."

Zuko nodded once and approached Admiral Jee. "Is this all of them?"

"Hm," Jee grumbled as he nodded. "So far. They won't tell us how many of them there were or who sent them."

"It doesn't matter," Zuko said looking into the eyes of the men handcuffed in the wagon. "They'll talk soon enough. But right now, I need all of your assistance."

"Of course, Lord Zuko," Jee said. "What can we do for you?"

"Accompany me around the perimeter of the palace. I want to do a sweep of the entire grounds, and make sure there isn't anyone we've missed."

"Perhaps you should let us take care of that. Those men were here for you, if we run across someone, it could be dangerous," Jee cautioned.

"They attacked Mai. She said one of them mentioned using her as ransom. It's my duty to protect her, and if they wanted to use her to get to me, then I owe it to her to personally make sure the palace is safe." Zuko turned and his guards followed, unsure of what they may run across.

Mai sank into the hot water in the tub, exhaling slowly and trying to release some of her tension. She'd scoured herself in the standing shower before bathing to remove the man's blood from her skin. She felt disgusting with another person's blood on her body and she certainly didn't want to bathe in it. She wondered if the man she stabbed in the leg survived. It was terrible knowing a man died by her hand and she wasn't sure if her karma could ever again be balanced if there had been two. She'd never killed anyone before, and though it was self-defense, she still felt wretched inside. She'd attacked people many times before, but never with the intent to kill. Tears slid slowly over her pale cheeks and she took a deep breath.

"Agni, forgive me."

It was going to be a long night.

-o—o—o—o—o—

She met him in the common area at midnight like they had planned, pillow and blanket in hand. When their eyes met, they smiled at one another, and she sat down on the blanket he'd already laid out on the floor. She tossed her pillow down beside his and they spread the other blanket out, snuggling close to each other beneath it.

"Hey," Katara whispered as she scooted closer, hugging her pillow and wearing a smile laced with anticipation.

"Hey," Aang whispered in return, smiling and pulling her closer to him, keeping a hand on her waist. He'd lit the fire just before she'd come in the room, and he watched as it flickered over her blushing cheeks. "You look so pretty in the firelight."

Katara giggled quietly. "Thanks." The warmth in her cheeks quickly spread up to the tips of her ears. She tucked some stray hair behind her ear. "You've seen me in firelight hundreds of times."

"And I've always thought your were beautiful," he whispered.

Katara's heart raced. She'd thought of so many things she wanted to say to him tonight but now she couldn't think straight. It was all his fault, him and his flirtatious smile.

"So, what do you want to do?" she asked, her feet finding his with playful, tentative contact beneath the blanket, butterflies swirling in her stomach.

"What do you want to do?" he countered, not letting on that the same butterflies were flitting like mad within him.

She put a hand on his chest, scooting yet closer, and then he did something she wasn't expecting. He nudged his left knee between her thighs, making her right leg slide over his. He pulled her closer at her waist, their legs intertwined and their bodies nearly pressed together. Katara's breath caught and Aang's eyes flashed with concern.

"Is this okay?" he asked cautiously.

Katara nodded quickly, "yes."

"Are you sure?"

Katara nodded again and relaxed into his embrace. "I'm sure."

"I just wanted to be closer to you, I wasn't trying to-"

"I know," Katara said, interrupting his explanation. "It just surprised me."

"In a good way or a bad way?"

"In a good way," Katara said in a hushed giggle. Then again, she shouldn't be surprised at all. Aang had never been shy about showing her how he felt about her. It was both exhilarating and unnerving because she was still learning to open up and it was often hard for her to express what she was feeling. She sometimes felt that she was left grasping for the right words while he always effortlessly swept her away.

"I like being close to you," she said, her voice barely a whisper. Their lips were hovering tantalizingly close to each other's, and feeling his breath on her lips caused her heart to start pounding. They weren't sharing a bed, but a part of her imagination ventured to pretend they were. She wondered what it would be like…if they were a little older and their situation was a lot different. She imagined that he would be so fine all grown up; tall and handsome…and those tattoos…. She reddened from thinking of him in that light, but it was a little hard not to, considering how close they were at the moment and the way he made her feel.

There was a certain level of comfort in being with Aang. She didn't feel pressured or rushed with him the way she used to think she might. He was very respectful of her boundaries and was content to let her come to an understanding of her feelings for him on her own terms. They both knew they had all the time in the world to discover their love for one another and let it grow…if indeed that was where their relationship was heading. It kind of felt that way, and she was more than okay with that at present. She quietly sighed and slipped her arm beneath his and around his torso to hug him close.

He closed his eyes and breathed her in. She was like an uplifting summer wind, the kind of wind that carried you high upon the thermals; effortlessly up and up until you were soaring above the clouds. And as a cold spring rain began to patter the tin roof of the house, he decided it would be okay if the rest of the world just washed away with the rain, leaving the both of them here, warm in front of the fire, forever feeling the way they did right now. He had to be the luckiest guy in the world. He smiled to himself.

She giggled. "What are you thinking about?"

"Clouds," he stated simply, still smiling.

She leaned forward and kissed the tip of his nose. "I like clouds."

He kissed her lips. "Me too." A few moments of silence passed.

"So…what do you think we should do when all of this is over?" Katara asked quietly.

"I don't know," he began thoughtfully. "We could travel. I could show you all my favorite places, and maybe we can find some new favorites." He smiled brightly. "Do you want to do that? Or…I mean, you could go home of course, if you wanted to. I could take you home to see your dad and Gran-Gran."

"I would like that," Katara said, an excited smile lighting up her features.

"To go home?"

"To travel…and to go home to visit of course." Katara sat up, beaming down at him. "Let's do it," Katara said grinning. "I want you to share the whole world with me. You promise?"

He sat up next to her. "I will, I promise," Aang vowed, taking her hand and weaving his fingers between hers. "I'll take you anywhere you want to go, anytime. Just name it."

The prospect thrilled her…anywhere she wanted to go. The thoughts of what they might find, adventures they would have, what they may discover about life, and about each other flashed before her eyes.

"I can't wait," she said leaning closer.

"Me either," he agreed, closing the space between them and sealing his promise with a kiss.

Aang sensed a sudden movement outside the house and broke away from her, turning his head toward the sound and listening more closely.

"Did you hear something?" he asked in a hushed voice.

"No," she said quietly.

"Wait here," he said getting up and moving toward the door.

"Aang, what did you hear?" she asked, rising to her feet as well.

"Someone's out there," he whispered, "right outside the door."

"Don't open it," Katara cautioned. A feeling of anxiety washed over her, causing her hands to tremble.

"I'm not," Aang said, putting his hand flat on the door. "They're leaving. I think they put something on the steps." He moved to the window and moved the drapes aside, looking down the street in both directions. "I don't see them." He went back to the door and opened it, finding a small box sitting on the doorstep.

Katara approached the door cautiously, peering over Aang's shoulder as he bent down to retrieve the box. "What do you think it is?"

"Don't know," Aang said as he came back into the house, looking the box over. It was slender and green and looked somewhat like a box for flowers. Aang's brow furrowed as he opened the box slowly, unsure of what he would find within. He lifted the top and found a piece of paper bound with red silk ribbon.

"A note?" Katara asked. Now she was completely curious.

Aang slid the ribbon off the end of the rolled paper and opened it up. He angled the paper so that it was better illuminated by the fire and began to read.

"_Avatar Aang:_

_In the Earth Kingdom, I am known as Meili. I have lived here peacefully for more than six years, but now I feel it is time for me to return home. My family was broken apart by the war and I have not seen my children in many years. In excision from my homeland I have been forced to relinquish contact with my family. I feel that you could be instrumental in restoring contact between my family and me because of your affiliation with Fire Lord Zuko. I respectfully request that you meet me at the seaside caves north of the city. I will reveal more to you at that time._

_Regards,_

_Meili"_

"Meili?" Katara asked, a confused expression upon her face. "She's in exile from the _Fire Nation_?"

"Guess so," Aang said, reading over the note one more time.

"And we're supposed to trust her enough to go and meet her in the middle of the night in the cold and rain?"

"Guess so," Aang repeated.

Katara shook her head in disapproval. "I don't trust it. Why would someone deliver a note under cover of darkness if all they wanted to do is talk? Why not just come and talk to you? I don't like this at all. It could be a set up."

"I don't think so. I feel like this is someone who really needs our help." Aang said as he walked to his room to get dressed. "Are you coming with me?" He stopped in his bedroom door and turned to wait for an answer, but she was already headed toward her room. They met at the back door of the small house moments later and headed out into the rain. So much for staying warm in front of the fire.

They flew with Appa to the oceanfront and north along the coastline. Visibility was terribly low, and they squinted against the darkness, trying to spot the caves referenced in the message. Aang spotted a small fire burning in a cave below them and he pointed it out.

"There. See the fire?"

Katara peered over as Aang began to direct Appa toward the beach and a very large cave whose occupant was still concealed by shadows. She looped her arm with his, her hand holding onto his upper arm, and they shared a wary glance just before Appa touched down. They jumped down into the wet sand and began to look around, remaining close to one another. Aang produced a flame in his palm for light as they began to make their way toward the mouth of the cave.

"Hello?" Aang called out, carefully casing the situation, his reflexes on edge. They rounded the corner finding the fire, but no one around it.

"No one's here," Aang said with certainty. Appa groaned from outside, prompting both Aang and Katara to spin around in defensive stances.

"Avatar Aang?" called a soft voice from the entrance of the cave.

Aang lowered his arms when he saw the voice came from a middle-aged woman cloaked in green. Katara quickly glanced at Aang then back to the woman, and she too, relaxed her stance.

"Thank you for coming," the woman said as she approached them. "It seems you travel a little faster than I do. I wasn't expecting you to find the message until morning." She removed her hood when she came into the light and instantly Katara thought for sure she had seen this woman before.

"I'm Meili," she said as she bowed in greeting. "At least, in the Earth Kingdom I'm known as Meili. My family knows me as Ursa…and I am the wife of former Fire Lord Ozai."

Aang's jaw dropped and Katara covered her mouth, gasping.

"You're Zuko's mother!" Katara said in astonishment.

"I am," Ursa conceded.

Aang was still standing by, speechless. He bowed, his hands clasped in front of him. "It's an honor to meet you."

Ursa smiled. "Likewise." The group settled in next to the fire.

"I want to begin by saying thank you for what you've done. Not just here in the Earth Kingdom, but for your help with my son. I'm so grateful he didn't lose himself in his struggles, and also that he had his uncle and all of you to show him the way."

"Zuko found his way on his own," Aang said, refusing to take any credit. "It actually took us a while to trust him…"

"…But we couldn't have completed our mission without him," Katara finished for him, smiling. "We're honored to have him as a friend."

"I'm so happy to hear that," Ursa said, tears misting her eyes. She wanted to ask them so many questions. There were so many things she wanted to know and she could probably sit and listen to stories of their journey all night, but it was already late and she wanted to get right to the point.

"There could be some difficulty in getting back into the country if I were to try on my own. When a citizen is banished, they are to be kept outside of boundaries and national waters by force. Reentry without the proper clearance is severely punished, which, was the way before power changed hands, but I don't dare test the borders alone even though Zuko is in power now. I understand my people are quite stubborn, and those loyal to my husband will still enforce his laws."

"I can escort you to the palace," Aang said without a second thought. "I just…don't know if it can be right away. We have…obligations to fulfill that could keep us tied up for a while."

"I understand." Ursa said with a sad smile. "I know you are very busy. I didn't expect it to happen right away. But when you are making a trip across the ocean, I would like to come along."

"Absolutely," Aang said brightly. "Until then, maybe you could try sending Zuko a message using your Earth Kingdom name, just so he knows you've found us and that you'll be coming home."

"It's not that easy. Each piece of correspondence received for the Fire Lord, especially from outside the Fire Nation, is perused before it ever reaches his hands. I'm not sure my message would make it through," Ursa said.

"We could write him for you," Katara suggested. "Or…we could write to _Mai_," she said looking at Aang with a smile and then looking back to Ursa. "They wouldn't check her messages would they?"

"No, I don't think they would," Ursa said, mirroring Katara's smile.

"What would you want us to tell him? We could try and arrange a meeting," Aang offered.

"I don't know if that's a good idea right now. There's a lot of unrest in my homeland. It wouldn't be wise to call Zuko away when our people need him there."

"You're probably right," Aang admitted, a little crestfallen. He quickly recovered. "He's going to be so excited to know you've found us! When we were in the Fire Nation he asked me to help him find you. For the longest time, he thought you were…well, he thought you were-"

"He thought you had been killed," Katara clarified. "Until his father told him during the solar eclipse that you had been banished for treason."

"He thought I was dead?" Ursa asked, clearly confused. "Oh, Zuko," she said in a sigh, covering her mouth as tears began to roll down her cheeks. "Why did they let him go on believing that?"

Aang and Katara looked at each other sadly as she cried, each at a loss for words. Katara reached over and placed a hand on Ursa's shoulder.

"He knows the truth now," she assured. "He's been very hopeful that he would be able to find you once things in the Fire Nation were more stable."

Ursa nodded, trying to regain her composure and wiping her tears away. "Have you heard anything about Azula? I know there was a power struggle between them, and I know you were there," she said looking at Katara. "Where is she now?"

"I'm not sure," Katara said uncertainly. "She broke down after the battle, she…" Katara trailed off.

"They did have her in a hospital, last we heard," Aang said. "We haven't been in contact with Zuko in a few months, so we aren't exactly sure how she's doing."

"Oh." Ursa watched as the flames before them flared and flickered. How she longed to regain the years she'd spent away from her children, to restore their youth and carry them away from all the harmful influences that had so negatively shaped their lives. If only she could have raised them away from those influences and given them the childhood she had always envisioned for them. And even as the thought entered her mind she could almost hear Iroh's voice, reminding her that life will always take the necessary paths to lead you to your destiny.

"Where is Iroh?" Ursa asked optimistically. "Is he with Zuko?"

"Iroh is living in Ba Sing Se," Aang said. "He seems pretty happy there. I'm not sure he has any intention of returning to your homeland."

"Oh. I thought sure he would be beside Zuko through these trying times, but I think I can understand why he's not. He wants Zuko to find his own path," Ursa smiled to herself. "Always the teacher."

The wind picked up outside the mouth of the cave, howling eerily and driving the rain in horizontal sheets. The three of them took quick notice as the fire swirled and embers flew toward the cave's ceiling.

"Perhaps we should start heading back. It doesn't seem the weather is going to improve." Ursa stood and pulled her hood up over her head. Aang and Katara stood as well.

"We can carry you back into town," Aang suggested. "These aren't any conditions for you to be walking in."

"I would appreciate that," Ursa said, taking another look at the heavy rain outside and shuddering. "If it's not too much trouble."

"No trouble at all," Aang said as he led the way toward Appa. He stopped short of the threshold of the cave and turned to Ursa. "It may be several months before we can travel to the Fire Nation unless it's an emergency, but I promise as soon as we can make the trip we will contact you."

"I would be eternally grateful for that, Avatar Aang, truly." Ursa clasped her hands and bowed her head. "To be reunited with my children-" her voice faltered as her eyes misted over.

"I'd be honored," Aang said placing a hand on her shoulder. "And please, it's just Aang."

"Very well, Aang, and, thank you." Ursa smiled gratefully and followed them out into the storm, getting a boost from Aang and Katara onto Appa's back. She settled herself down onto the soft padding of the saddle, holding onto the side tightly. Katara used waterbending to shield them from the rain as they flew off into the stormy night and back toward Guiyang.

-o—o—o—o—o—

Azula awoke with a pounding headache. Memories, or dreams, she wasn't quite sure, of what had taken place the day before looped over and over in her head like a bad play. She sat up in the bed, placing a hand on her forehead and groaned.

"What happened?" she said out loud as if someone were listening. Then it hit her. Her eyes flew open wide and she looked around, taking in her new surroundings. She was still in a cell, but not the one she had been in before. It was a bigger cell, and a much more comfortable one, if there was such a thing. There was nothing in the room but a toilet and wash bin and the bed she was sitting on. She lay back down, suddenly feeling light-headed. She felt terribly disorientated and wanted to yell for that foul guard to demand to know what was going on, but she'd rather not see his face at the moment. She ran her hands over her face and into her hair, which she noticed was clean. She sat back up and looked down at her body. Gone was the rough tweed sack she had been wearing since her arrival on The Rock, replaced with a softer brown cotton tunic and pants. Her skin and nails were clean and free of the muck she'd remembered seeing there before. The sun shone on her blanket, warming her legs, and she realized that for the first time in months, she could see sunshine. She smiled and gingerly lifted herself from the mattress, walking over to where the window was. She stood in the sun's light, letting it warm her cheeks and fill her spirit with an energy she hadn't felt in what seemed like forever.

"Sweet Agni, I thought I'd never see the sun again." She breathed deep, inhaling the sun's life-giving energy and allowing it to warm her core. It felt absolutely beautiful. She laughed to herself, feeling ridiculous for wallowing in something so simple. She moved back to the bed, lying down with her head at the foot of it so the sun was still on her face. She didn't feel she had the energy to keep standing though she wanted to stay in front of the small grated window. She needed food; she was so hungry she felt nauseated. She felt as if she looked like a walking pile of bones, skinny and pathetic, and wondered how she'd lost so much weight so quickly. She noted footsteps approaching and sat up, anticipating her guard's intrusion on her privacy.

After the jingle of keys and the metallic clang of the locking mechanism, her door swung open to reveal a female nurse, thankfully bearing a tray of food.

"Spirits, Princess, you're awake!" the nurse exclaimed. "Oh, blessed Spirits we thought we were losing you." The nurse placed the tray on a ledge beneath the window on the cell door and came over to Azula, placing a hand on her forehead, then taking her wrist and checking her pulse. Azula pulled her arm away.

"Stop fussing over me and give me my food," she demanded. "I'm starving. When was the last time you brought me something to eat? You could be fired for treating royalty this way."

"I'm sorry Princess, but you've been asleep for nearly three weeks now. You'd slipped into a deep sleep after your episode and we feared you weren't going to come out of it."

"Three weeks?" Azula asked incredulously. "That's impossible. I just saw Mai yesterday."

"I'm afraid you're mistaken, Princess," the nurse explained. "You've been in our care for quite some time now."

Azula looked at her wrists, which she remembered had been cut and scarred from the shackles she had been wearing. The marks were nearly healed. Her heart began to beat faster. The nurse must have noticed the panicked look in her eyes because she immediately got Azula a glass of water.

"Here, Princess. Please, just relax. We're going to be taking care of you now. The Fire Lord has ordered you not be placed back in your original cell."

"Zuko? Why?"

"He's been here, Princess. After he heard of your failing health he visited you. He was quite concerned." The nurse pulled Azula's covers back up to her waist and retrieved the tray of food, placing it in her lap. There was Komodo chicken with a sweet sauce, brown rice, vegetables, a spring roll and fruit juice. A far cry from what she had been eating previously. Azula began eating with gusto.

"I'm sorry," Azula said, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "You can leave me to my meal."

The nurse smiled. "That's a good sign, Princess. The Fire Lord will be pleased to hear of your improvement."

Azula began to eat again, not noticing that the nurse had left the room until her tray was completely empty. She pushed it away, holding her now bulging stomach and laid back. Perhaps she'd eaten too much too quickly. Her eyes began to feel as heavy as her belly did, and sleep quickly claimed her.

The sun was set by the time she woke again; to find her room illuminated by lanterns hanging near the cell door. She stretched her arms out above her head, groaning as each muscle flexed and then relaxed. Her hand brushed something beneath her pillow and she grabbed it, holding it in front of her to inspect the object. It was a scroll, and the wooden end of it bore the symbol of the Earth Kingdom. Curious, she furrowed her brow and began to unroll it, finding a message that she immediately noticed was signed by her Uncle Iroh. A mixture of emotions flooded her center and she dropped the scroll to her lap, unsure of what to think. What in the world could _he_ want? Her defiant nature wanted to toss the scroll into the toilet, but then again, she kind of wanted to see what he had to say. She picked up the message and began to read.

"_My dear Azula,"_

She laughed. Yeah right.

"_I understand that our relationship has not always been of a loving nature, but I also want you to understand that even at your darkest, I have always had love for you. As my niece I have always wanted what was best for you, and I truly hope that you have used your time in prison to reflect on where you are in life, and what you would like to get out of life. You are an incredibly intelligent person and it would bring me such joy to see you use that intelligence for good. There are many positive things that you could accomplish if you simply choose to direct your energy toward positive goals…" _

"My goals were positive," she remarked with her lip curled up in a disapproving sneer.

"…_You were exposed to things as a young child that you should have never been subjected to. No child should ever have to display cruelty and violence in order to gain their father's approval. It took Zuko such a long time to learn that your father's way was not always the right way. Though, in time, he learned to follow his own path, and I know you have the strength of spirit to do the same. It has always been my belief that_ _people must be conditioned to hate, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite; and if someone can learn to hate, they can also be taught to love. It is my hope for you Azula that you learn to love, to save yourself from the dark path that you are on. I will be here for you, just as I was for your brother. All you have to do is reach out." _

Azula scowled. So Uncle wanted to teach her to love. It was completely absurd. She had no interest in undertaking a series of lessons to repair the damage done to her psyche as a child. It was too late. She tossed the scroll to the floor and drew her knees up to her chest, crossing her arms over them and dropping her head. She breathed slowly and deeply with her eyes closed, wondering why her uncle's words actually made sense, and wondered even more why she suddenly felt so lonely. Here she was, a banished Princess, with no friends, and no allies.

-o—o—o—o—o—

Mai rushed toward the conference room with a letter in her hand. Zuko was meeting with his top generals regarding the latest intelligence gathered on the Resistance, and she knew it was a bad time, but this news couldn't wait. She burst through the mahogany double doors before the guards could stop her, causing all in attendance to look up sharply.

"Mai?" Zuko said, standing. "Is everything okay?"

She approached him and pressed the letter into his hand. "It's a letter from Katara."

"Katara?" Zuko echoed, looking at the parchment in his hand. "Are they okay? Is Aang alright?"

Mai beamed brightly. "Yes." She came closer to him, covering his hands with her own. "Zuko…they've found your mother."

It felt as if the air was sucked out of the room as everyone gasped in unison. The color drained from Zuko's face and his vision blurred as tears began to flood his eyes.

...Continues in Ch. 12- In Bloom...

"People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite." - A beautiful quote from Nelson Mandela that immediately made me think of Azula when I read it. I wanted to weave it in here somehow.


End file.
